His Weak Spot
by Freckled Angel 11
Summary: Do Avengers have a weakness? Peter was still learning to identify his weaknesses, but Tony knew all about his own weak spot. When Peter falls victim to a small group of brutal criminals, Tony will need to figure out how to get him out without giving away Peter's identity as Spider-Man. Will he save him in time? Father/Son relationship (M for language and violence).
1. The Bank Deposit

**A/N: This is an idea that came to me recently. It's going to be a bit darker than my last fic with Peter and Tony. It will start out mild, but I intend to escalate things quickly in this one. The action will start at the end of the first chapter. While Peter isn't my favorite MCU crush (That's a close tie between Captain America and Iron Man), he is my favorite muse for FanFiction. His youth makes him the perfect character to play with and put through difficult situations. I see this as a time for Peter to grow and learn from the challenges and difficulties that a young superhero is bound to face. This story will explore what it is like for a superhero to be put at risk by some fairly average human adversaries. Not all enemies will wield high tech weapons, and even the average weapon will be bound to do some damage. So, my dear readers, sit back and enjoy the crazy places my mind goes. Again, I imagine this to take place sometime between Homecoming and Infinity War, but this will exist separately from my other fic and be a little more AU. For example, Tony is still working from Avenger's tower in the city.**

 **Please remember to review and let me know your thoughts!**

 **Sadly, these characters aren't mine. I'm just in love with them. Marvel owns them all.**

 **Chapter 1: The Bank Deposit**

Peter hurried down the street, clutching his backpack so that it wouldn't get knocked off his back by the New Yorkers rushing by him. It was a busy Saturday morning, and Peter was in a hurry to get to the bank before it would close at noon. He had some time, but he had promised MJ and Ned that he wouldn't be late to work on their science project. He knew that the bank could get busy on weekends, and there weren't too many tellers in the bank these days with most deposits made electronically.

Peter smirked as he made his way down the sidewalk, thinking about the way Tony teased him for being so old-fashioned with his money.

\- flashback to earlier that morning -

 _"You know that deposits can be done electronically now, right? I can't even remember the last time I actually had to write out a check for someone to deposit. Why can't I just transfer the money directly to your account?" Tony had asked._

 _"Come on, Mr. Stark. I went to the bank with my uncle to set up this savings account. He told me that it was very important to save my money and prepare for the future. He wanted to make sure that I would be able to afford a quality education! I like taking the check into the bank and depositing that money just the way he taught me. Plus, someone has to help the bank tellers keep their jobs!" Peter argued playfully._

 _Tony looked at the young man in front of him. "I get that, Pete. It's very responsible of you, and I'm sure your uncle would be proud." Tony handed Peter the envelope with his check inside. "I have no doubt that you have a great future ahead of you, which is why I am choosing to invest in that future by giving you this check for your college fund."_

 _Peter smiled as he took the envelope. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. This is really kind of you." Peter peaked inside the envelope to look at the amount on the check, $75,000. "Wait! Mr. Stark, this is more than we had talked about!" Peter protested. "I can't accept this!"_

 _"You can and you will," Tony insisted. "You're worth more, but the way I see it, you'll probably get a full ride to MIT anyway. That money should help fund any projects or materials that you'll need to make me proud." Tony was beaming at his young protege. He had no doubt that Peter would make him proud. The kid could probably make a name for himself and make some of Tony's projects look like a middle school science project._

 _"I still have two years of high school left," Peter reminded his mentor. I'm not sure I need all of this right now. Peter stared at the check, seeming conflicted about the amount displayed there._

 _"Come on, Peter. Just consider it an advance for the work you'll be doing for me as my intern... aka an Avenger in training." Tony explained._

 _Peter looked confused, "You gave me a multi-million dollar suit, and I know you have another one - probably even more expensive than the first." He studied Tony for a moment. "Are you trying to spoil me, Mr. Stark? You know Aunt May doesn't want me to feel entitled to stuff like other kids my age."_

 _Tony laughed a little at that. "Take the money, Peter. That's really no strain on my bank account, and I want to make sure that you will be set up to follow whatever dreams you have floating around in that head of yours. Spider-Man or not, Peter Parker will need to set himself up for retirement some day."_

 _"Retirement? Let me finish high school first!" Peter said as he carefully put the check in his bag. "Thank you. I really do appreciate everything that you do for me." He closed his bag and put it on his shoulder, looking back towards Tony as he finished. He noticed his mentor looking at him with an odd expression. Well, one odd for Tony anyway. It was one of his rare expressions, reserved for the people he cared most about. Peter's uncle used to look at him like that, and sometimes Peter was still lost for words when that same expression was given to him from Iron Man himself._

 _Tony seemed to notice Peter's stare, and he quickly raised his eyebrows and plastered on one of his more cocky, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist smiles. "Just consider it a belated 16th birthday present from your favorite Avenger!"_

 _Peter laughed and looked at his phone. It was already getting late. "Hey, I should go and deposit this. It will probably be busy today so I want to get going, I'm supposed to meet MJ and Ned later to work on a project. Happy said he'd drop me off near the bank."_

 _"A project?" Tony asked, his interest peaked. "Anything I can help with? The lab is all yours if you need it!"_

 _Peter shook his head as he walked towards the elevator to make his exit. He pressed the button to go down and looked back at Tony, "It's for our astronomy class. I'm not sure your lab has the tools we need for this assignment."_

 _Tony shrugged as he watched Peter enter the elevator, "I could tell you what it's like to go through a wormhole."_

 _"Huh?" Peter asked as he looked back from the elevator. Tony's words were a little mumbled, so Peter hadn't really heard him._

 _"Nothing." Tony called as the doors began to close. "Have fun banking in the 20th century! Tell Happy he can take the horse and wagon!" Tony teased. He watched Peter roll his eyes and shake his head at the comment as the elevator doors closed. He smiled in the direction in which Peter left. He smiled thinking about just how much better life was with the little spiderling around._

\- end flashback -

Peter smiled some more as he walked, continuing to hold tightly to his bag. He couldn't believe that he was carrying a check for that much money. He briefly wondered if the bank would question him about it. He smiled more to himself and shook his head, knowing that Tony had likely pulled some strings and notified the bank ahead of time. The traffic had been heavy, so he told Happy that he could drop him off a few blocks away. The man had reluctantly agreed after Peter reminded him that he was more than capable of handling himself.

Peter was almost to the bank, and, if it was even possible, clutched the bag tighter. Not only was the check inside, but his multi-million dollar red and blue suit was also tucked into the bottom of the bag. He needed to be careful. He didn't want to have to chase down a bag snatcher today.

Peter finally arrived at his bank, the same one his uncle had taken him to open his savings account shortly before he was killed. Peter knew he didn't have to use this exact bank, but using this one somehow felt like he was honoring his Uncle Ben somehow.

He stepped inside and looked around. It was an older bank, one that had stood in the community for years. Almost everyone Peter knew trusted this bank and it's reputation. He found it funny that Tony found his banking old fashioned, and he knew Tony would tease him more if he saw the old building. It didn't have many of the fancy new technology that could be found in the newer built banks. Sure, it had a couple of ATMs, but mostly it was a big old brick building with marble floors and a good, old fashioned vault in the back. Peter knew that the bank had updated it's security protocols. After all, they needed to be able to ensure the patrons that their money was in safe hands. At the same time, he could imagine all of the ways Tony would want to secure the bank even more with his Stark protocols or something.

Peter smiled at the thought of Tony updating his bank and got in line. He was pleased to see the line for the bank teller wasn't too long. There were a good number of people in the bank, but it looked like others were there in lines to discuss loans or open security boxes. He figured he would be able to finish his task and be on his way to Ned's house in less than 15 minutes.

As Peter waited for the next available teller, he suddenly felt a tingling sensation from the base of his skull that continued through his limbs. His enhanced senses were alerting him to something. His hair begin to stand on end, and Peter took a deep breath as he prepared to assess what was coming.

He heard the yells before he could even turn around. He sensed others around him beginning to scramble as there was commotion at the main entrance to the bank.

Peter finally glanced over his shoulder towards the entrance, which also happened to be the exit from the building. Two men in black ski masks had slipped into the building carrying large handguns. The men moved quickly and efficiently, telling Peter that they were not new to this.

"Everyone stop what you're doing and get on the ground!" The first man yelled.

Peter noticed most people dropping to ground, while some others scrambled towards the back, likely to find a rear exit.

Peter could sense the one teller as she moved to press the silent alarm as he also sensed the movement of the bank's security guard.

Peter didn't drop to the ground. His senses were firing like crazy with all the excitement around him. He brought his fingers to his wrist and realized that he was at the bank as Peter Parker. Spider-Man was off duty, and it was unlikely that he would be able to go unnoticed and slip away to make a quick change. His mind was overloaded as he tried to determine his next move as he was sensing the movements of the others in the room at the same time.

His thoughts were suddenly forced to focus as the same man to originally shout the order to get down was now moving in his direction with the gun raised at him.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing you little shit? Get on the ground!" the man yelled.

Peter quickly brought up his hands and slowly began to drop. He hated this feeling... this feeling of helplessness. He was Spider-Man! He took down the Vulture on an invisible jet. Was he really going to let some stupid bank robbers get the upper hand?

As Peter crouched down, the bank robber (he'd call him Curly since he saw a curly hair falling out from under the mask) looked past Peter to the teller now, seeming to think that Peter was ready to comply. Peter stopped mid crouch, and noticed the security guard go after the other robber (Peter would call him Moe... he looked more like a Moe than a Larry. Sure there were only 2 stooges in this scenario, but that hardly seemed important at the moment).

The security guard had a taser and managed to get a shot off at Moe. It must have worked because Moe dropped with a grunt. This caught Curly's attention and Peter could see him raise his arm to take a shot at the guard

Everything was happening so fast. Peter knew he wasn't in his gear, but surely even Peter Parker could stop a man from getting shot.

Peter quickly jumped into action. He burst up from his crouching position and grabbed Curly's arm, pulling down as the man fired a shot meant for the guard.

In the back of his mind, Peter figured the silent alarm must have gone out by now and hoped the police were on their way. He couldn't afford to draw too much attention to himself. At the same time, he could not and would not let anyone get hurt by these morons.

Curly screamed out in rage and pushed back to try to loosen Peter's grip on his arm. "What the fuck?!" he yelled. "Get off of me, kid! You have a death wish or something?"

Peter was trying to think fast. He knew he could easily defeat the man, but that would raise suspicions. He decided to let go of Curly's arm and switch tactics.

As he let go, Curly was trying to bring down his arm and backhand Peter (no doubt to force him to the ground). Peter dodged the hit, hoping that seemed like a reasonable move for a teenager. As he dodged the arm, he reached for a post that was used with some rope to keep people in the proper line. Peter swung the post at Curly's legs, effectively taking out the legs from underneath the man and dropping him to the floor.

"Everyone get out of here!" Peter yelled to the people around him. "You too!" He called to bank staff. He began to hear sirens in the distance. "The police are on the way, let's meet them outside!"

People were running to the door as quickly as possible, and Peter was pleased to see how many of them were able to exit the building. Peter threw the pole at Curly as he was bringing the gun back up and trying to pull himself up. The weight of the pole dropped him back down.

The sirens came closer and Peter decided it was time for him to exit the bank and try to look like any other scared citizen. He would be one of the last to leave, but that was fine with him.

"Go, go, go!" Peter ordered some others out in front of him. He looked around to see the last employees exiting out the back, with only the security guard, Peter, and another man left to exit out the front.

"Go on, kid!" The security guard yelled. "Get outside and get to the police!"

Again, Peter wished that he was in this situation dressed as Spider-Man. He didn't want to leave the guard with the robbers, but he needed to try not to draw any more attention to himself.

Peter nodded at the guard, noticing the other man left in the bank also taking a step towards the door. He could sense Curly trying to get up again, but decided it was best to leave the rest to the police and the guard. As Peter was coming to the exit, he could see the chaos that was bubbling up outside. Police cars rolled up, people were scrambling, and others were stopping to see what the commotion was about. As Peter stepped through the door, he also noticed that some people had pulled out their phones.

He didn't have time to think about the phones or the videos and pictures being taken by the curious onlookers. His senses flared once more, alerting him that something was terribly wrong. So much was happening and again his senses were overloaded.

Two shots rang out almost simultaneously.

People screamed in horror as the young man exiting the bank fell to his knees with a startled cry. Inside the bank, police could see the guard on the ground with blood pouring from his head.

Peter was trying to understand why the ground came at his face so quickly. He felt the white hot pain tear through him, and belatedly realized that the source of the pain had forced him to the ground.

"They shot the boy!" he heard someone yell from the crowd.

Peter's head was swimming, trying to keep up, _"Shit! They shot a kid?"_ Peter saw some red beneath his shoulder on the concrete and looked at it in confusion.

Blood.

His blood.

 _"Oh shit!"_ Peter thought again, _"I'm the kid who got shot! How the hell did this happen?"_

Again, things around Peter happened quickly. And he realized that he was moving slower than usual, trying to pull himself up and towards the police.

He felt weak, weaker than a superhero should feel.

 _"This is ridiculous, get up! Come on, Spider-Man! Come on, Spider-Man!"_ Peter thought, trying to force himself up.

He managed to get his head up and look in the direction of the police. In his muddled brain, he tried to understand why they weren't helping him. Instead, they were taking cover, holding up their weapons at someone behind him.

Behind him?

 _"Oh shit!"_ Peter thought for the third time. He wanted to use his hands to pull himself forward and away from the presence he now felt coming up behind him. His senses screaming. He focused on an officer in front of him, noticing his mouth moving. Peter tried to focus on what the NYPD officer was saying. Was it something about _put the boy down?_

 _"Wait why is the ground getting further away?"_ Peter thought with much confusion. Then he felt the hands on him. Someone was using him as a human shield, pulling him back inside the bank. A hand yanked at his hair, forcing up Peter's head and providing further protection of his attacker's own face.

Peter yelped as the attacker pulled at his hair and dragged him backwards.

 _"Nope!"_ Peter thought again, _"Not happening!"_

He tried to dig in his heels and force the attacker's progress to a stop.

"What the fuck?" Peter heard behind him. "This kid has a lot of fight for a little guy!" He grunted.

Peter didn't have time to feel proud of that. The attacker suddenly brought down a hand and squeezed forcefully on Peter's gunshot wound, effectively stopping him from fighting back.

White spots danced in Peter's vision. He wanted to fight, but the pain was unbearable. Pain shot through him as the man dug his fingers into Peter's flesh, all while pulling him inside. Before someone closed the doors, Peter took in what was happening outside.

NYPD was yelling, victims from inside the bank were still scrambling to get out of the way, and onlookers held up their phones to capture everything. And wasn't that just peachy?

The doors to the bank slammed shut, cutting off Peter's access to any help.

Peter's head hit the floor as he was thrown down by his attacker, but Peter continued his fight - this time to stay conscious. He wanted to see what was happening. He hated the vulnerable and helpless feeling that came along with the pain coursing through him. He breathed heavily, fighting the black spots gathering in front of his eyes.

Blinds were pulled down.

The frosted glass security gates were pulled shut and locked.

No one could see inside the building.

Peter was alone, held hostage by _bank robbers_ of all people.

He turned his head to the side and could see the security guard. Dead eyes stared back as blood oozed from his head wound.

Peter looked away and pulled his eyes up to the men standing over him.

An angry-looking Curly stepped over from securing the door gate, a panting Moe was back up and pointing a gun at Peter's head, and the other man...

 _"Huh?"_ Peter thought as the darkness pulled him under. _"I guess there were 3 stooges after all."_

Peter didn't have time to figure out who the third man was or where he came from. As he lost his fight to stay conscious, he figured he could get acquainted with "Larry" later.

* * *

 **A/N: Hopefully you all still recognize the reference to the 3 Stooges. It seems to fit in with the kind of "older" references Peter likes to make. We'll find out more about Larry, Curly, and Moe (as Peter will call them) in a later chapter. Just what will they do with Peter as their hostage? Will pictures and video of him being taken hostage make it to the news? Will his loved ones see it? Can anyone help him in time? Or will a weakened Peter be left to deal with this all on his own? Stay tuned and find out!**

 **And don't forget to review! Reviews = love. :)**


	2. Breaking News

**A/N: This just in... the characters of the MCU do not belong to me. I'm just playing with them for a little while.**

 _Thoughts_ are in italic.

News Reports are underlined

 _Video recordings_ are italic and underlined

 **Phone calls** are bold

-Sorry if that gets confusing! -

 **Chapter 2: Breaking News**

At Ned's house, he and MJ were waiting for Peter to arrive. Ned was sitting on the floor and leaning back against his bed, putting together a few Legos to pass the time. Michelle was sitting at his desk, impatiently tapping her foot while messing around with one of Ned's Nerf guns.

"He better be here soon!" MJ complained. "He has all of our research, and I'd like to make it home in time to see my dad before he has to go to work tonight!"

Ned shrugged, "He'll be here. You know Peter, he's easily distracted." Ned added another piece to the Lego structure that he was putting together. "Besides, he said he needed to, like, stop at the bank or something like that."

MJ scoffed, "Great. There's plenty of things to distract him there. Who knows how long _that_ will take him!"

"Relax!" Ned told his friend. "Even if he runs a little late, Peter would never let us down! Especially with a science assignment! You know how he is about finishing his homework!" Ned smiled to himself, recalling a story Peter told him about almost missing out on going to Germany with Iron Man by using homework as an excuse.

"Whatever!" MJ said. "But if he isn't here in the next 15 minutes..." She held up the Nerf gun for Ned to see, "... He's getting one to the head!"

"Harsh!" Ned teased. He thought about how easily distracted Peter could get. Ned was Peter's only friend to know about the Spider-Man identity, so he knew that the "distractions" meant that he might need to slip into his Spider-Man gear and help someone.

Ned decided to turn on the small TV he had in his room, he figured if Peter had donned the Spider-Man gear, then they might see a News Flash about it. Of course, Ned would be the only one to know it was Peter, but he figured the TV could at least provide some entertainment for MJ. Either that or drown out her complaining.

Michelle Jones jumped slightly at the sound of the TV clicking on, in doing so she accidentally fired a Nerf dart at the TV, where it stuck to the screen.

Ned just shook his head at her. They both chuckled when the dart happened to be stuck around the crotch of the reporter displayed on the screen.

Reporter: "Reporting Live with Breaking News out of Queens: Police are now on scene at a bank being held by a group of armed robbers. A short time ago, 2 men reportedly entered the building with guns. A security guard and another hostage inside the bank were able to distract and temporarily subdue the robbers long enough for the other people inside to escape.

Ned and MJ were listening closely now. As the camera zoomed in, MJ's dart was now in the middle of the reporter's face. She moved forward and plucked the dart off the screen. "Didn't you say Peter had to stop at the bank? You don't think...?" MJ didn't finish the question. Instead she looked at her friend, who was intently studying the screen in front of him.

"Umm..." Ned was trying to get a better look at the bank building in the background. The brick of the building looked familiar. "I think... it might be," he said. Of course, Ned was waiting to hear about Spider-Man helping out because Peter would not have been able to sit back and do nothing. He squinted, _"Is that blood just outside of the door?"_

Reporter: Unfortunately, things took a terrible turn when a third assailant, likely already stationed inside the building, opened fire. At this time, we know that the guard and other hostage attempting to help were both shot. We cannot confirm the condition of either of them right now... (the reporter put a hand to his ear, listening to his earpiece). I'm being told that the teller from inside the bank can help to provide more information.

Jill Smith (Bank Teller): Umm... (appears on screen), Yes, I saw everything. It's all... (she sniffs and blinks back tears) Everything happened so fast.

Reporter: I'm sure this must have been terrifying for you. Ms. Smith, could you tell us how this started?

JS: S-sure. I was at my station wh-when these two men charged into the building with weapons, ordering u-us to get down. I-I, well, I managed to hit the silent alarm while our security guard, Mr. Jones, tasered the one man. (She takes a breath) Then, the young man (she blinks a few times) h-he stopped the other guy from shooting Mr. Jones. (She shakes her head). He looked so young, but he managed to use the stanchion post to knock out his legs from under him, and he told us all to run! (Tears fell down her cheeks).

 _"Holy SHIT!"_ Ned thought to himself, a sinking feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. _"Was that Peter? It sounds like something Peter might do, but why didn't he do it as Spider-Man?"_ The reporter continued before Ned could think of it any further.

Reporter: So the hostage that helped the security guard was young?

JS: He looked young. Like... not even 18! And then... they just... they... shot him and... and pulled him back inside! The police... they couldn't even help him! (She cries harder, sniffling as she speaks). It a-all just happened so fast!

MJ and Ned just stared at the screen. Both afraid to voice their thoughts out loud.

Reporter: I'm getting word now that we have footage taken from the camera phone of someone nearby as this all unfolded. I'm advised that the following images are not appropriate for young children.

 _Video footage begins playing on the TV screen and shows people running and screaming as they exit the bank._

Ned and MJ leaned forward, hoping to catch a glimpse of their friend exiting to his safety with the others.

"There!" MJ yelled as a familiar face could be made out just inside of the door, ushering others out in front of him.

The sinking feeling in Ned's stomach grew. He knew Peter's superhero instincts sounded an awful lot like what the bank teller was saying about the helpful young hostage. Someone who was apparently shot!

 _Peter could be seen inside the door, another man was inside with his face out of view of the camera. Peter began to follow the others outside when two shots could be heard. Peter was shown being thrown forward to the ground in front of him._

"NOOO!" Ned and MJ screamed together.

 _Police were scrambling, pulling out their weapons and pointing them at the figure who had been standing just out of view. The man was wearing a baseball cap and hoodie. He could be seen holding a gun, pointing it right at Peter's head as he reached down and yanked him up as a shield._

"Oh, god!" MJ breathed. She watched Peter's face in the video. She was shocked to see him conscious, looking bewildered and confused.

Ned watched as the man in the video yanked back Peter's head by the hair, causing his friend to shriek in pain. _"ASSHOLE!"_ Ned thought, watching the brutal actions and being unable to look away. Ned watched as Peter dug in his heels and tried to stop the man from pulling him inside... a show of incredible strength for an injured young man. _"Oh no... Peter!"_ Ned thought, silently hoping his dazed friend wasn't about to accidentally put his super strength on display.

"How? How is he...uhhahhh!" Michelle didn't finish her question, but she instead jumped and shrieked when she watched the man dig his hand into Peter's wound.

Ned shook his head. He heard his best friend give a final shriek of agony before the assailant won the battle, effectively pulling Peter back inside.

Reporter: (Shaking head sadly) As you can see, this shows the third assailant brutally pulling the young, heroic hostage back inside after he'd been shot. It is unclear at this time if the man pulling him back inside was the one to pull the trigger. (Puts finger to his ear) We are also learning that the security guard inside the building was also shot around the same time as this young man.

 _A still image of the video showed Peter's face paused on the screen._

Reporter: Police are trying to identify the young hostage that is still inside the building with the security guard, both men likely to be seriously injured. They are asking anyone with information about this young man or anyone else connected to this incident to call 911. They are hopeful that they may get in touch with the families of the victims or learn more about the assailants keeping them inside.

*CLICK* Ned held the remote in his hands, having used it to turn off the TV.

"What are you doing?!" MJ cried. "Turn that back on! We need to see Peter!"

"No!" Ned shook his head. "I don't want to see anymore! I don't ever want to see _that_ again!"

MJ knew he was talking about Peter getting shot. She looked down at the Nerf dart still in her hand. She dropped it to the floor, hating herself for the joke about shooting him with the dart for being late. Tears began to slide down her cheek, "You're right. I don't want to see that again either." She looked at her friend. "Ned..."

He looked at her.

"We need to call 911," She said. "We need to tell them that it's Peter Parker being held inside that bank!"

Ned nodded, "That's not the only call we need to make." MJ knew he was referring to May Parker.

* * *

MJ and Ned weren't the only ones to see the horrifying news report.

Back in Avenger's Tower, Tony was working and tinkering with the thrusters in his Iron Man gauntlet.

"Sir," FRIDAY's voice suddenly got Tony's attention. "My system is picking up facial recognition of a news report involving Peter Parker."

Tony looked up, worried. "Bring it up on the screen, FRIDAY!"

A similar report to the one Pete'f friends saw played out on Tony's screen, along with the horrifying video.

"Oh, God! No!" Tony said aloud. "FRIDAY... how long ago did this happen? Where did this happen?"

Before the AI could answer, Rhodes stepped into the room off of the elevator. He took note of the report that Tony was watching. "Tony..." Rhodes called, trying to get his attention. "Tony... I saw the same report. Tony!"

Tony wasn't listening. "FRIDAY! When and where?" he called again.

The AI's voice filled the room, "Queen's National Bank, about 30 minutes ago, sir."

Tony was pressing buttons, preparing to suit up and fly out to the bank. He was going to pull Peter out of there himself.

"TONY!" Rhodes called. "You need to stop and think! I sent Happy to pick up May Parker, she'll probably insist that he take her to the scene, but Tony... you can't just fly over there!"

"WHY IN THE HELL NOT?!" Tony demanded.

"How often does Iron Man fly into a hostage situation at the bank, Tony?!" Rhodes was pleading with the other man, wanting him to slow down and think.

"Who cares? I'm going to this one!" Tony argued back.

"Peter will care!" Rhodes insisted. "People will ask questions if Iron Man shows up to a hostage situation to save a teenage boy!"

"They can mind their own damn business!" Tony insisted. "May knows the truth now, so he doesn't really have to worry anyway. Better for people to find out that Iron Man is rescuing Spider-Man than for the kid to bleed out in there!"

"Stop, Tony! Assess the situation!" Rhodes continued to argue, sounding every bit like the military man he was. "You could only be putting him in more danger if you charge in there without more intel!"

This finally made Tony stop in his tracks. He didn't want to put Peter in more danger.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't go at all, Tony," Rhodes explained further. "I'm just reminding you to take some time... let's think this over, get all the facts, talk to May, and then put a plan in place."

Tony shook his head in agreement, silence overtaking him. He was rarely lost for words, but a lump had formed in his throat, getting in the way of any smart retorts to Rhodes.

"You're not the only one who cares about that kid, Tony," Rhodes said. "You have people who will help you get him out of there safely."

"Ok..." Tony agreed, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. "Ok..."

"Sir," FRIDAY said again. "You have multiple calls incoming. One from a Ned Leeds and the other from May Parker.

Tony pinched his nose, trying to figure out how this day had gone to shit. "Send a text to Leeds. Let him know that I know about Peter and will call him back. Answer the call from May Parker."

Tony took a breath, preparing for May to yell and ask him why he didn't have Peter out of there yet.

 **"Tony?"** May's voice came through surprisingly calm. **"Tony, listen. I saw the news. I watch all the time now that... now that I know what my boy likes to do in his spare time. I saw it! I saw what they did to my boy! I'm waiting for Happy, he called me first, and then we are going to the bank. I'm going to meet with whoever is in charge at the scene. I... I want you to stay back for now."**

"What?! Excuse me?" Tony wasn't really mad, he was just genuinely confused.

 **"That is my kid inside that bank, Stark. He's hurt and he's in danger. The police will know what to do,"** she explained. **"I... I know Peter is strong and..."**

Tony heard her veiled panic through her words. She was trying to be calm. She was trying to find a way to take control in this situation. Something told Tony that she needed to feel like she had some control over how Peter was rescued. Tony wasn't sure how he felt about that. Control was kinda his thing. "May..." He tried to cut in, but she continued.

She started rambling a bit, **"I'm not even sure why I** **had to call you at all. I thought you would be the first to call! Peter's friends and Happy reached me first! Ugh... that... that doesn't matter. I just... I just don't want you charging into that bank in that suit of Iron you like to wear. That could only make things worse for Peter! At least... just... don't charge in yet!"**

Tony was shocked. Apparently "good news" traveled fast around here. He had only learned about this himself! How did so many people jump on this before him. He desperately wanted to get Peter out of there! He looked over to Rhodes who was giving him an _I told you so_ look about not charging in yet.

Tony threw his hands in the air, "Fine! Apparently, I'm grounded... or Iron Man is at least. But... I'm coming down there!"

 **"Please, Tony! Don't!"** May begged him. **"These are bank robbers! Bank robbers want money! Peter Parker doesn't have much. Can you imagine if they can connect him to you? What they might do?"**

Suddenly, the protests from the others made sense. He found himself wondering if Peter had managed to deposit that check. It would be better if he had. May was right. These men were clearly dangerous and desperate criminals. It could be very bad if they could connect Peter with him. He'd hate for the kid to be used as a bargaining chip any more than the men in that bank already would be.

"Fuck!" Tony cursed. "I hear you, May. I'll wait here, but..." he paused. "Please..."

 **"Either Happy or I will be in constant contact, Tony,"** May said. **"I know... I know you and Peter are close. I'm not trying to cut you out, I promise. I'm... I'm just thinking of my boy."** May was sniffling over the phone and Tony knew she was crying.

He felt sick, like he might actually throw up. "Ok, May. Go to the scene, and I'll be in touch. Rhodes and I will see what we can find out about the guys inside. Maybe we can get information that the police can't." He had to do something after all.

 **"Yes... that sounds like a plan. Thank you, Tony. I'll call you later."** And with that, the call ended.

Rhodes was studying Tony carefully. "You going to be ok?" he asked his friend.

"I will be... as soon as Peter's safe," Tony replied. "Help me look into these guys, will you?"

"Sure thing, Tony." The two men made their way to an area of the room where Tony began pulling up screens.

FRIDAY was pulling up pictures and video from the scene that were being posted to the internet in hopes of getting as much information as possible. FRIDAY also found security footage of the men entering the building at the start of the attack. He and Rhodes worked alongside one another, trying to find anything that might reveal the faces of these men.

Tony sighed and looked over at his friend, "I just hope..."

"What?" Rhodes asked when Tony trailed off without finishing the thought.

"I hope these assholes don't figure it out," Tony replied.

Rhodes looked confused, "Figure what out?"

"That the kid they're holding is my one of my greatest weak spots," Tony clarified.

Rhodes gulped, "Yeah... let's hope not." Rhodes was more determined than ever to make sure his friend was very careful on how he got involved moving forward.

* * *

 **A/N: I have no idea if a Queen's National Bank exists or what it looks like. This is all a product of my wild imagination.**

 **Remember to review. Those are greatly appreciated.**

 **More on Peter's condition in the next chapter!**


	3. That Hurts

**A/N: The story continues, but I still don't own any of them.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: That Hurts**

Peter smelled something funny. It had a metallic coppery smell. He even tasted it... it was awful!

His head hurt... his whole body ached, actually.

Peter tried to focus, and he realized the pain seemed to radiate from his right shoulder.

He groaned and tried to pull his eyes open.

He blinked once... twice...

Ugh... yeah, that hurt.

He took some deep, steadying breaths and tried again.

This time he was able to keep his eyes open longer.

And he wished that he hadn't.

Straight ahead of him lay the body of the security guard. The body was a cold gray and the eyes still looked out, seeing nothing, clouded with death. Peter suppressed the urge to throw up and squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to notice how the blood was coagulating on the floor around the poor man's head.

 _"This is bad! So very VERY bad!"_ Peter thought to himself.

He groaned and opened his eyes again, this time turning his attention to his right shoulder.

He noticed that his jacket had been removed and torn into strips. The strips were wadded up and held over his wound with duct tape.

Apparently, the bank robbers wanted to keep one hostage alive.

 _"I suppose I should be thankful,"_ Peter mused. But as another wave of pain shot through him, he knew that was ridiculous. _"I have them to blame for this! Assholes!"_

Peter again looked down at where the wound was. It could have been worse. It looked like the bullet had entered and exited through his right shoulder, the exit wound just beneath his collar bone. Peter could feel his body trying to heal, but he usually had cuts and bruises to deal with. This was the first bullet wound.

Another wave of pain seemed to shoot out from the wound, setting his nerves aflame. _"God! That hurts!"_ Peter thought, realizing that he didn't care if his first bullet wound was also his last.

Peter let out another groan. His senses flared almost as much as the wound had a moment before. _"Shit!"_ Peter thought, he seemed to forget that he wasn't alone.

He had been placed so that he was leaning in front of the teller's counter. He could hear voices coming out from the back, likely from the vault area.

"Look! The baby's awake!" Curly stepped out first, his gun at his side.

"Aw! Isn't he cute!" Moe cooed, his weapon also in hand. But it was something about the way the man looked him over, that truly unsettled him. "He looks so sweet!"

Peter shuddered a little, senses continuing to flare. Peter studied the men, noticing now that the masks were off. _"Damn,"_ he realized. _"It's never good to see their faces!"_

"So the little fucker is awake?" a third voice asked, stepping out last from the back.

Peter had almost forgotten about Larry. The third man had his weapon tucked into the waist band of his jeans. He knelt down so that his face was merely inches from Peter's own.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Larry asked.

Peter made a show of looking around and then down at his shoulder before lifted his eyes back to Larry. "Do you?" Peter asked, feeling angry at the damage caused by these men.

Larry cocked his head a little and furrowed his brows at Peter, studying him. "Arrogant little shit, aren't you?" he asked.

Without warning, Larry shot up his hand and poked at the wound, pretending to check the bandage,

"Shit! That hurts!" Peter groaned out, breathing heavily.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Larry pretending to act concerned.

Moe came to kneel beside him, "You ok, baby boy?"

 _"Definitely not!"_ Peter thought.

"They locked down the vault, you little jackass! Thanks to you and that other ass..." Curly jerked a thumb back towards the security guard, "...our whole job was botched!"

"He didn't botch the job," Larry corrected. He stood up, leaving Moe still kneeling not far from Peter. "You two dumb asses did that on your own!" he yelled.

This caused Moe to look away from Peter and stand up, "What the fuck are you talking about?" he demanded.

"You let that guard get you with that taser!" Larry accused. "You should have shot him first! And you!" he looked at Curly. "You let a kindergartner get the drop on you!"

Curly looked down and then over towards Peter, where he sat trying to shrink into the counter behind him.

Peter really wanted to leave. He wanted to shoot a web out and get the hell out of this bank. _"My backpack..."_ Peter thought suddenly, knowing his web shooters and Spider-Man gear were tucked inside the bag. He looked around frantically, spotting the bag not too far away. He was relieved to see that it looked like it hadn't been opened.

"How did that happen?" Curly asked, now squatting in front of him with his weapon in hand. Peter didn't fail to notice how his finger twitched near the trigger.

"What?" Peter asked. He had been thinking about his backpack, and in his hazy state of mind, he lost track of what they were talking about.

"Just how the hell does a kid like you get the better of a man like me?" Curly clarified.

Peter studied the man, taking note of more than just the dark curly hair on his head. He hadn't really noticed, but the guy was huge. He seemed to be as tall as Thor and built like King T'Challa. His eyes were a dull grayish blue, and hard as steal. Peter gulped, "Um... adrenaline, I guess. You know... fight or flight? I guess my instinct is to fight." Peter's tumbled out quickly, and he hoped the man would accept his response.

He stood up over Peter, towering above him. The man seemed to study him a bit. He scoffed, "Right... that's probably it." He held up the gun. "It doesn't really matter. I got my pay back in the end."

"So it was you, then?" Peter said. "You always shoot a guy in the back?" That was a dumb thing to say, but Peter realized it too late.

Curly snarled and reached down, lifting Peter up by his bad shoulder.

The black dots came dancing in front of his eyes again, and when they cleared, Peter was looking up into Curly's angry gray-blue eyes. "You have a serious mouth on you, kid!" Curly pushed Peter back, so that he was bending backwards over the counter.

The pain was shooting through him again, and Peter once again fought to stay awake, not wanting to let the bigger man take advantage of his weakened state. He was dazed again, but was pulled back to reality when he felt the muzzle of Curly's gun on his lips. Peter froze, wide eyes staring up at the man.

"Enough!" Larry yelled.

Curly didn't listen. He forced the gun into Peter's mouth. "I could blow you away RIGHT NOW!" Curly yelled.

Peter's blood ran cold. He was scared, and he hated that he was so _damn_ scared.

"I said ENOUGH!" Larry scolded again. "If you kill him, we have nothing to use as a way to bargain with the police."

Curly yanked the gun from Peter's mouth, dropping him back to ground.

Peter sputtered and coughed. He leaned his head back against the counter. The black dots were threatening to take him again. Peter closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, still listening to the other men. He didn't want to lose track of where they were in the room.

He heard Moe laughing as Curly stomp away.

Then, he heard steps approaching and was afraid Curly was coming back to finish him for good.

"Hey!" Larry's voice called, before the man was tapping his cheek. "Stay awake! I'm not done talking to you yet!"

Peter slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the man. While once again trying to steady his breathing, Peter took in Larry's appearance. This man was built like Clint Barton, but Peter thought he seemed a bit taller. Larry's eyes were a little more green than Curly, and his hair was cut shorter. The man had stubble on his face and looked to be in his early thirties. Peter gulped down a wave of nausea. He looked the other man in the eyes, silently letting him know he was listening.

"Good boy," Larry said. He looked at Curly. "Grab that post or me, will you?" he asked.

Curly went over to the stanchion post that Peter had used to hit him earlier. Peter feared that they planned to beat him with it. Instead, Peter watched as the big man awkwardly pulled at the post, dragging it over.

 _"Oh hell!"_ Peter realized. _"It's heavy."_

"That's far enough," Larry said, stopping Curly's action. Moe was in the background, studying Peter intently.

Larry met Peter's eyes again. "I need you to help me understand something," he said. "Why is it that my friend, my rather largely built friend, struggles more with that than you? How is it that you swung that thing like a baseball bat to take him down?"

Peter opened his mouth to answer, but Larry cut him off.

"...And do NOT say adrenaline!" Larry said sharply.

Peter snapped his mouth shut.

The three men looked at him expecting an answer. "I... I'm not sure," Peter finally said, not sure if they believed the lie.

"What's your name?" Moe spoke up.

Peter furrowed his brows, a little confused by the change of subject. He thought about lying or saying something smart, but then he remembered the incident with Curly's gun and thought better of it. "Peter..." he breathed out, looking at the other men. "My name is Peter," he said again, trying to sound calm. "What are your names?" he asked, figuring it was worth a try.

The men were silent, and Peter thought maybe he had crossed a line again.

Larry finally gave a short laugh, bringing up his finger to wag in front of Peter's face, "Nuh uh! Nice try though, Pete!"

 _"Only Mr. Stark can call me that,"_ Peter thought.

"So... Peter, I don't think you're being entirely honest with me," Larry scolded, sounding like a disappointed teacher scolding a kid for losing his homework.

Peter gulped, "But... we have other things to figure out... for now."

Larry stood up and walked away.

Peter let out a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

His relief was short lived. Moe came over with a roll of duct tape and yanked Peter to his feet. Moe was the smallest of the three men, with a lean build similar to Peter's own. But the man wasn't weak or small by any means. Moe's brown eyes, stared into Peter's own, and Peter could see the man was also taller than him. Moe gave him a creepy smile, before forcing Peter around and pushing his stomach against the counter.

Peter bit back a groan as Moe, none too gently, taped Peter's hands behind his back. The strain on his shoulder hurt like a bitch, and Peter struggled to understand why this was even necessary with him still feeling weak from being shot. _"Because you swung a heavy post like a baseball bat, you idiot!"_ he scolded himself.

The tape bit into his wrists, and Peter's stomach churned as more pain burst out from his shoulder. Moe finished tightly binding Peter's wrists before flipping him back around. The damn black spots were back and Peter shook his head to try to clear them, which didn't really help him to recover his equilibrium. As he finished breathing through another wave of nausea, he heard Moe trying to get his attention.

"That's it, baby boy," the man said. "Breath through it."

Peter yanked his eyes open to glare at the man, not too fond of the nickname. It was then, Peter realized just how close Moe was. The man was too close, with hands on Peter's waist. Peter's senses were firing, and his hair stood on end. Moe may have been the smallest in the group, but he was dangerous. "Let go!" Peter growled out.

Moe smirked. "Just trying to keep you steady, Petey. Better now?"

Peter glared daggers at Moe and gave a subtle nod, hoping to be left alone.

"Good..." Moe drawled. He brought up a hand and grasped Peter's chin. "Now to do something about that mouth," he cooed, rubbing his thumb up to Peter's lips.

Peter thought he was really going to vomit this time.

"Stop messing with Pete," Larry called. "Finish up so we can make the call!"

Moe laughed in Peter's face, pulling his hand away to clap it hard on the side of his face. "You make it too easy, baby boy!" And with that he tore off a large strip of tape...

"No! Wai...Mmmfph!" Peter's protest was cut off.

Moe pushed the tape down hard on Peter's lips. "Too easy," he whispered, bringing up his hand to rub over Peter's mouth that was now covered in tape.

 _"Shit! Don't let me throw up now!"_ Peter thought as Moe dragged him up and pushed him over towards the back of the counter. _"Oh god, please let that be his gun poking me in the back!"_

Moe pushed him on the ground behind the counter, finishing his task by binding Peter's feet once he was in place.

Peter was so done. The most recent movement had him feeling renewed pain, and he welcomed the darkness that pulled at his eyes this time. He was safe in the dark.

* * *

Captain Jenkins met with May not long after she arrived. He was horrified to learn that the young man inside, Peter Parker, was only 16 years old. If these men were who he feared they were, then this kid was in serious danger.

The FBI had been after a trio of bank robbing criminals for awhile now. These men were making their way around the country, leaving a trail of victims in their wake. The men didn't necessarily worry about getting large sums of money. Just enough to help them travel around and torture more innocent people along the way.

They had been trying to make contact with the men who had barricaded themselves inside with Parker for awhile now. They were smart. The captain and his men weren't able to get a visual inside the building, so there was no way to get snipers on them as a way to take them down.

No... these men would want to be let out to go on their merry way, and the Parker kid was their bargaining chip.

The captain shook his head, wondering why a kid that young had felt the need to stand up to these thugs.

"Captain!" One of his men called, "Dispatch is on the line, they're trying to talk to us." Jenkins knew he was referring to the robbers inside the bank.

"Patch them through!" the Captain called, moving towards the van that was set up as their on-site command center. He caught site of the kid's aunt as he stepped inside, giving her a look that said he'd fill her in later.

Grabbing a head set, he pressed a button, "Hello? This is Captain Jenkins. With whom am I speaking?"

"Names aren't important," growled the voice on the other end, "Although I expect you have some idea of just who we are."

Jenkins didn't miss the smugness in the man's voice, but chose to ignore it. He wanted to get more information on the Parker kid. "Can you tell me about the young man you have inside?" Jenkins heard from the first officers on the scene about the fate of the security guard. He knew the man was killed on the spot, shot to the head... he just didn't want that getting out in the media until the man's family had been informed. "We know he was hurt. Might I inquire as to his condition?"

"You mean Peter?" The voice asked, still smug. "We patched him up. He'll be just fine. He's just taking a little snooze at the moment."

Jenkins didn't like the sound of that, worried that the kid was unconscious and not at all fine. He also wasn't thrilled that they knew his name. With men like this, it was better for them not to know so much. "I'd like to speak with him at some point," Jenkins said. "I'd like to let his family know he's alright and able to speak."

"I told you the little shit is fine!" The voice growled out. "And only you can keep him that way by backing off and getting us a chopper to fly out of here!"

Jenkins stayed as calm as possible. "I hear you, and we can talk about that some more, but..." Jenkins took a breath, "If you are who I think you are, I would feel a lot better if I could hear from the kid..."

* * *

Xander Hanes, Albert McMann, and Jackson Grey.

Tony studied the names that were on the screen in front of him, along with their criminal records. He shuddered as he read off the list and saw the pictures of the victims that suffered at their hands at various locations around the country. It was a very small comfort that not every victim was killed, but no one was really left in good condition by any stretch of the imagination.

It had taken some time, but Tony and Rhodes were finally able to locate a camera that had captured the faces of the two men that had charged into the bank. The third man was listed as their associate after FRIDAY ran facial recognition and found the hit off of the FBI's database. These men were wanted, and Tony was worried.

If the FBI knew these men were in New York, they were likely on their way. They would want to question Peter. That was bad. Peter being held hostage by these men was bad enough, but the FBI could make things worse if they asked too many questions.

Tony picked up his phone to text the names to May. He would need her to pass these names to the Captain on site with her. He hoped there could be some way to resolve this before involving the FBI. Peter did not need this kind of attention. _He_ wouldn't want all of this attention.

He looked at Rhodes as he sent the text to May. "It may be about time we got a closer look," he told the other man.

Rhodes eyes looked haunted. Tony knew the other man was just as horrified by the reality of just what kind of men they were dealing with.

"I think you're right," Rhodes agreed. "We need to get Peter out of there... and soon!"

Both men looked back on the screen... at one profile in particular... Xander Hanes (the one they would later discover as the one Peter referred to as Moe). His record was perhaps the most disturbing of all. A registered sex offender whose victims held an eerie resemblance to Peter.

* * *

 **A/N: So... there you have it! Peter is in a heap of trouble.**

 ****Also, I want to be clear... there will be no explicit assault on Peter by the character of Xander Hanes. I don't think that is something that is entertaining. It's disturbing. That concept is only in this story as a source of fear and concern for Peter and those who care about him. Just how will a young superhero deal with coming up against that kind of evil? In this world, it is an enemy they will come across and need to bring to justice. So, how will Peter handle it when faced with a criminal like that up close and personal?**

 **Also, any resemblance to real people is purely coincidence as these names are made up and completely fictional.**

 **What will Rhodes and Tony do next? Will Jenkins get to talk to Peter, or is he only going to make Peter's situation worse? And what about that backpack? Will one of the men get curious and take a peak inside? Stay tuned to learn more!**

 **And please be kind... reviews are great motivation!**


	4. Look at That

**A/N: Here we go. I still don't own these fabulous characters, except for the police captain and the fictional criminals... those are mine.**

 **Again, I don't like to be too graphic, but there could be trigger warnings for the violence of the criminals in this story. Read with caution!**

 **And please don't forget to review! :)**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Look at That**

The phone call from the men inside the bank hadn't gone the way that Captain Jenkins would have liked. The man on the phone had growled in frustration and ended the call when he once again requested to talk to Peter.

However, the men inside hadn't finished with their demands, so Jenkins assumed they would call again. The next call, he hoped, would come when the kid had regained consciousness and could say something on the phone.

Captain Jenkins and May were standing together by the van, looking intently at the names that were sent to May on her phone.

Jenkins wasn't only interested in the confirmed identity of the criminals, but in the name of the contact from whom Mrs. Parker had received the information.

 **STARK: Got them! Get these names to the captain on scene: Xander Hanes, Albert McMann, and Jackson Grey.**

Jenkins wasn't an idiot by any means, and he only knew one Stark who could possibly identify these men before his own people. He noticed May Parker studying his face, and he realized she knew what he was thinking.

"Mrs. Parker," Jenkins said, "Would you mind joining me in my car for a moment? I'd like to ask you a few questions and clarify some things."

May studied the man for a moment. Her instincts told her that the captain was a good man, and she took it as a good sign that he wasn't immediately throwing around Tony's name to the other men on site. "Of course, Captain."

Jenkins looked at his sergeant, who was eyeing him curiously. "Keep doing what you can to get eyes inside, I just need a moment with Mrs. Parker."

The sergeant nodded. He hadn't seen what was on the phone in May Parker's hand, but he trusted that his captain would tell him what he needed to know in time.

May and Jenkins made their way over to his police sedan, with Jenkins opening the door on the passenger's side for May to enter. Once she was inside, he made his way over to the driver's seat.

May noticed Happy standing nearby, and gave him a nod and a wave in order to let him know that everything was okay.

Once his door was closed, Jenkins looked over at May, "I thought we might need some privacy to talk. I don't suppose you can tell me how you know Tony Stark?" Jenkins said.

May took a deep breath and looked at the Captain. He had a trustworthy face and kind, blue eyes. He was an older man, with wrinkles around his eyes that indicated years of service with the police force. "Peter and Tony are..." May starting speaking, but she was still trying to piece together what the captain should know. "Well... Peter started an internship with Stark Industries a little over a year ago."

Jenkins was giving May a look that told her to continue.

"In that time..." May went on, "Tony and Peter have grown close. Stark has become a sort of mentor to Peter," she explained.

Jenkins nodded, looking thoughtful. "I see," the man said. "Any reason the Iron Man hasn't felt the need to help us out with more than just names?" He asked, sounding more agitated with the hero than he meant to.

May looked a little hurt by his tone. "I asked him to stay back," she defended. "I trusted that you and your men would know what to do! I wasn't sure having Tony Stark on the scene would help Peter! Can you imagine what those men might do to my boy if they find out that he is close to Tony Stark?!" She snapped.

Realization made its way on the older man's face. He scrubbed a hand over his tired eyes and sighed, "Damn it! Yeah... that would not be good." He looked at May again, "And I'm not so sure the government would approve of Iron Man blasting his way into that bank, either... what with the Accords and all."

May hadn't even thought about that. She was more worried about Peter being used as a shield or being killed as a result of Iron Man charging in.

"You made the right call, Mrs. Parker, and I appreciate the confidence you have in our team," Jenkins told her. "I'm sorry I reacted that way. Please forgive my outburst. Your Peter..." Jenkins paused, "... he reminds me of my own son when he was younger. These things are always harder when kids are involved."

May nodded at him, "Peter's not just an average kid." She stopped herself, unsure of why she said that out loud. "I... I mean, at least not to me..." She tried to explain, "What I mean is... he's been through a lot. He lost his parents when he was young. My husband and I became his guardians after their death. And then..." May paused and took a breath, "Ben, that was my husband's name, he was killed only a short time before Peter began his internship with Tony." She shrugged, "That kid in there is a fighter, Captain Jenkins, he's been through and made it through some very difficult times." Of course she didn't elaborate on how some of those difficult times involved her boy wearing a Spider-Man suit or chasing after invisible jets and men with wing suits.

Jenkins nodded, understanding and accepting her explanation. "From what I heard, he sure is a fighter," He looked at May, "And that's a good thing, mam. We'll find a way to get him out of there." Jenkins drummed his fingers on his steering wheel, seeming to think for a moment. "Is there anything on Peter that would let those men inside know that he is connected to Stark?" he asked.

May thought about Peter's backpack, _"Does a Spider-Man suit count?"_ she thought to herself. "Umm... I'm not sure," she told the captain aloud. "It's a possibility, but..." she crinkled her brows in thought, "wouldn't they have done something already if they had found something or figured it out?" She asked the captain.

He shook his head, "It's hard to know for sure. We NEED to get eyes inside that building!"

May glanced out her window in time to see two other men join Happy Hogan. She didn't recognize them at first. They were in baseball caps and wearing sunglasses, but she finally realized that Tony and Colonel Rhodes had arrived, incognito. Happy was pointing towards the car, and she ushered them over through the car window. "I might have some friends who could help you with that, Captain Jenkins. Mind if we let them in?" May asked.

Jenkins watched as two men in baseball caps and sunglasses approached his car. In another circumstance, these men would be suspicious characters. Yet, the man trusted Mrs. Parker and nodded.

Tony and Rhodes weren't really waiting for an invite anyway, as they just quickly opened the back doors and slid inside.

"Captain Jenkins..." May said, "Meet Tony Stark and Colonel Rhodes. Gentleman..." she looked to the back seat, "this is Captain Jenkins."

"Nice to meet you Cap," Rhodes said, "Cap... Captain Jenkins, sir." He stumbled a bit, realizing that nickname was usually reserved for someone else he knew.

Tony raised an eyebrow at his friend, but focused on the people in the front, "I trust that May gave you the message that I sent to her?" he asked.

"Yes..." Jenkins confirmed, "... she's updated me on a few things."

Tony looked mildly worried, so May piped up, "Uhh... about Peter being your intern. You know? And how you have been a mentor to him?"

 _"Phew!"_ Tony thought, relieved that May hadn't spilled the beans about Spider-Man to the police captain.

"I'm a little surprised to see you, actually," Jenkins said. "I thought you were going to keep out of site per Mrs. Parker's request?"

Tony used his hands to bring attention to what he was wearing, "I'm not looking to draw attention, Jenkins. I left my expensive suits at home." He unzipped his sweatshirt a little, "Well..." he said nodding to the nano part housing unit on his chest, "... the designer suits any way."

"Tony!" May scolded, "Are you nuts?"

Tony zipped his sweatshirt back up. "Hey! This is just a precaution. I won't deploy this unless something really gets out of hand!" he defended.

"Don't worry," Rhodes said, "I'll be keeping an eye on him."

Jenkins was shaking his head in disbelief, "My grandson will never believe that Iron Man and War Machine were in the backseat of my sedan," he muttered. Then he cleared his throat, realizing the others had heard him. He quickly recovered and composed himself, "Right... um... it looks like the two of you aren't planning to make a scene, so what is that you think we should do next? As soon as I give these names to my men, it won't take long for the FBI to be breathing down our neck."

"Right..." Tony said, "... you got a command center with A/V nearby?"

"Yeah..." Jenkins said, "but my men haven't been able to get any visuals inside yet.

Tony held out his hands, "Look who you're talking to! I'm not one of your guys, Jenkins... I have my own ways to make that happen."

The captain nodded, "No doubt. Alright, Stark... you come with me to the van. I'll try to explain to my guys about what's happening. I don't suppose you'll tell me how you can get eyes in there?" Jenkins asked as he reached for his car door.

Tony smirked and opened the door as Rhodes and May opened theirs, "Just... a little fly on the wall." was the only explanation he gave.

* * *

Peter was uncomfortable. There was something cold dripping on his face. He tried to pull his head away from the discomfort, but found that his head was on solid ground and bumped into something else as he tried to pull it to the side.

Slowly, he opened his eyes to get his bearings... and remembered that he was trapped inside of a nightmare.

He was on the floor, laying in an uncomfortable position. His head was on the cold floor, and he was awkwardly leaning to the left side of his back. His hands were still tightly secured behind his back, and his injured shoulder was on fire... the pain making his nerves scream in agony as the pain shot up and down his arm and across his chest. He had his legs pulled up, bringing his knees up as if to somehow protect himself, but his ankles were still bound together as well.

If it weren't for that damn pain in his shoulder, Peter was pretty sure he could have pulled himself free. However, he wasn't interested in fanning the flame that was ablaze under his right shoulder.

Instead, he found himself breathing through the dizziness and nausea, and he focused on what was dripping on his face.

"Mm hum phumph?" Peter mumbled into the gag, only now remembering about that additional inconvenience. He looked up to see Larry, Curly, and Moe standing above him with a water bottle.

Larry, held the bottle in hands and waved it above Peter's head as if to tease him with the contents.

"We thought you might like a little water..." Moe chuckled as he watched Peter blink up at them.

Peter was thirsty... parched even. His mouth was terribly dry and he felt like there was sand in his throat. Water would be a welcome pleasure. _"What's the catch?"_ Peter wondered, knowing these jerks weren't likely to give him anything out of compassion or kindness.

Curly stepped forward to yank Peter into a sitting position behind the counter, causing Peter to groan loudly behind the tape over his mouth. "You just have to earn it, kid," Curly told Peter.

Larry set the water bottle down and picked up a phone, now waving the phone for Peter to see. "You fell asleep just as we made contact with the police," the man growled out, clearly annoyed. "They'd like to talk to you." He brought the phone down towards Peter. "But you can only say what I tell you... got it?" He spit out the last two words in such a way that spit, too, cascaded towards Peter's face.

"Hm mm ha mmmfff hu hmm hum?" Peter tried, hoping to make it sound like, _"How am I supposed to do that?"_

The men above him smirked at each other and shook their heads.

Larry knelt down and roughly grabbed Peter's chin, seeming to understand the garbled question. "THAT is there to make sure you only talk when I want you to talk," he said, letting go by roughly pushing Peter's face back so that his head bumped into the counter.

Peter closed his eyes, struggling against the new wave of dizziness. _"Well if you want me conscious, you'll need to stop doing that!"_ he thought, settling on glaring daggers at the man for the rough treatment. _"If only I could use my web shooters to tie you up!"_ he thought. _"I'd toss you around and see how you like it!"_

"Knock it off kid!" Curly barked out. "Even without the use of that smart mouth, you got a lot of attitude for someone in your position! Cut it out, or you're gonna regret it!"

As Curly spoke the last sentence, something was thrown in Peter's direction.

Peter flinched and turned away from the object, shutting his eyes. The item fell by his legs, but didn't really hit him. Peter opened his eyes and looked, only to find his own backpack. He wasn't sure if he felt relief or fear when he saw it. He thought it would be better if the men paid no attention to that bag at all.

* * *

Outside the bank, Captain Jenkins quickly introduced Tony to the officers working inside the van/command center. He gave them the same brief explanation about Peter being Tony's intern that May had offered. The other officers were ordered to keep Tony's presence on the scene quiet, and they agreed (even though they clearly still had some questions about Tony's presence).

Jenkins had also shared the identity of the criminals inside with the detectives assigned to the case, knowing that it would only be a matter of time before the FBI would want to come and take over.

At the moment, all attention was on Tony and the tiny device that he was working on.

"This little guy," Tony informed the others, "Will help us to see and hear exactly what those assholes inside are up to. I call him..." The device fired up and began floating inside the van, "The itsy bitsy spider! He'll be climbing up the water spout, so to speak, and getting us inside." The tiny little spider drone was really a new prototype that he had been working on for Peter. Peter's current drone wasn't as stealthy as Tony thought it could be, so he had decided to work on something closer in size to the trackers that Peter used to find Toomes' men in Maryland. Of course, he wouldn't let the police know about that part.

"I thought you said it would be a little fly on the wall," Jenkins commented, trying to hide his fascination and annoying Tony in the process.

The Iron Man rolled his eyes and raised a hand in the direction of the tiny spider drone, "Close enough, don't you think?"

One of the officers inside the van, Officer Hassler, didn't even try to hide his excitement and fascination, "Oh Man! That thing is so cool! They'll never see that coming!"

"Yeah..." Tony agreed, "That's pretty much the whole point." Tony was working away, moving things around both on his phone and a little hologram coming from it. Too many hours had gone by already, and he was ready to see exactly what was happening with Peter. "Okay... here we go!"

With that, the little drone surged forward, exiting the window of the van that was cracked open up front. The others were now watching the video image displayed on a screen in the back of the van.

"Will you look at that!" Officer Hassler exclaimed, clearly amazed by the picture quality of the tiny camera embedded in the little spider drone.

They watched as the tiny drone flew over the heads of officers outside and made its way towards the bank. Before long the little drone was flying along the bricks and locating an entrance, which happened to be the heating and ventilation system and air ducts. For awhile they only saw the duct work.

"Bingo!" Tony whispered, seeing the vent that should let the little drone into the area of the bank where the robbers and Peter were likely to be.

They all watched as the little drone entered the space. Tony quickly navigated the drone so that it would be on the wall, not wanting the little device to accidentally draw attention. Tony then started to maneuver the tiny camera to pan around the room.

The first image they came across was that of the dead body guard, which prompted the people inside the van to mumble and curse. Some sending up prayers for the poor man and his family, while others were cursing the men who killed him.

Tony panned away from the guard, searching the room for the others. Oddly, it seemed empty and abandoned, with nothing but the marble floor to greet them. He was starting to think that they might be in the back, but he continued to use the camera to pan along the bank teller stations and counter.

And finally he found them.

At this angle, he could only see Hanes (a.k.a Moe), McMann (a.k.a. Curly), and Grey (a.k.a. Larry) talking to and doing something with someone behind the counter.

Tony set his jaw and began navigating the little spider drone to crawl along the wall and get a better angle so that he could see Peter, knowing he was likely to be what was drawing the men's attention to that area of the bank.

When he finally could see what was going on behind the counter, Tony could feel his blood beginning to boil.

There was Peter, propped up behind the teller's station both bound and gagged with a crude bandage over his gunshot wound.

A collection of gasps and curses could be heard throughout the van.

Tony let out a small growl, but zoomed in to get a better look at Peter and the men.

He didn't zoom in far. He just wanted the men and Peter to fill up most of the frame so that they had the best view.

Peter was alive, but he looked pale. His skin was glistening with sweat, and Tony feared that he could be fighting a fever or infection. Peter's chest rose and fell quickly, and his body seemed to be shaking slightly. The mistreatment to his body was clearly taking a toll on the poor kid.

They could also see one of the bank phones on the counter above Peter's head, and Grey seemed to be getting ready to make another call.

Tony hit another button, causing sound to fill the small space inside the van.

 _"Remember...when we take that tape off your mouth, you say only what I told you," Grey was saying, "You hear me, Pete?"_

"Woah... this thing has audio, too?" Hassler breathed out in amazement.

The others sent him a look, letting him know that now wasn't the time to fanboy over Stark's tech.

"Looks like we should be expecting our next call," Jenkins commented.

"We'll be ready, sir," someone answered.

But Tony wasn't paying much attention to them. His focus was on Peter, who was pinching his brows together as if noticing something. Tony watched as Peter turned his head, his eyes going wide as he likely noticed the little spider on the wall. _"Damn those spidey senses, kid. Don't draw attention to this thing. Look away! Look away!"_ Tony silently commanded, hoping Peter would realize the mistake and turn away from the tiny drone. Tony let a small, relieved breath when Peter quickly lookied away, likely realizing that he shouldn't stare at it.

Tony noticed something else.

Peter's tense body seemed to relax a little. _"That's right, kid. Take it easy. I'm right here. You're not alone anymore,"_ he thought.

He just hoped Peter wouldn't do something to put Spider-Man on display for the NYPD officers inside the van because Peter would have no way of knowing that Tony's eyes weren't the only ones watching what was happening.

* * *

 **A/N: What do you think? Will Spider-Man be discovered? Will the police strike a deal in time, or will the FBI get in the way with plans of their own?**

 **Also... Peter does not know the real names of the men inside; therefore, his scenes will continue to have the nicknames he gave to them. Any scenes with Tony and Captain Jenkins will now have their real names since they have no way of knowing about the nicknames given to them by Peter.**

 **I hope that makes sense, and I'm sorry if that gets confusing.**

 **Again, any similarity to real people, places, or events is purely coincidental. Everything here is the result of my twisted imagination. (Except of course the characters that belong to Marvel...damn it!).**


	5. You Have No Idea

**A/N: You all the the disclaimer... Marvel owns all of the recognizable characters. All of the other fictional characters are stuck with me.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: You Have No Idea...**

May was pacing outside of the van, waiting for an update from the men inside.

Rhodes and Happy were left to wait with her, and both tried to find ways to offer her reassurance. However, the only thing that was going to make May Parker feel better was getting Peter safely out of that bank.

"How long until Tony can tell us something?" May demanded, expecting one of the other men to be able to answer her question.

Happy shifted uncomfortably, "Try to be patient, May. These things can take time," he explained, immediately regretting his choice of words.

Rhodes shook his head at the other man, and Happy was pretty sure he was rolling his eyes behind the sunglasses he was wearing.

"PATIENCE?!" May squealed. "Seriously?! We don't have a whole lot of time! My kid is injured in there! I want him OUT!"

May scrubbed her hands through her hair before bringing them down to rest on her hips as she continued to pace. She looked out towards the crowd of people that had gathered behind the police tape. She could see reporters with their cameras out, trying to capture anything dramatic that might happen. She could also see some of the others who had left the bank still waiting to find out if her nephew or the security guard would make it out. She had heard the police talking and knew the guard wouldn't be coming out alive, but she hoped that things would turn out differently for Peter, obviously.

It was the other people that annoyed May, the people who had no business being there except to satisfy their morbid curiosity. She wondered how so many people were able to waste their time and felt certain that they must have better things to do than to stare in fascination at the dangerous situation unfolding in front of them.

There was a young woman taking selfies with the bank in the background, likely using her nephew's suffering to get attention on social media.

There was an older man pacing around, trying to get an interview with the reporters as if he were someone important.

Ned was waving his hands at her, trying to get her attention from behind the police barricade.

 _"Wait! What the hell?"_ May thought, looking over towards Peter's best friend as he was trying to signal her.

"No way... what is he doing here?" May said aloud as she stepped over towards the barricade and police tape. Happy and Rhodes quickly followed her.

Rhodes caught her arm and asked, "Where are you going? If you go over there the reporters will be all over you like bees on honey!"

"That's Peter's friend, Ned," May said, pointing over towards the young man now waving his arms excitedly above his head.

"MAY!" Ned called out to her. "Over here! They won't let me through!"

"Hey!" Happy got the attention of a younger officer in charge of the crowd. "That kid waving his arms over there like an excited kid at Disney Land..." He pointed to Ned, "... We know him. It's his best friend inside that bank. Think you could let him join us?"

The officer looked from Ned to May and back to Ned again. "You sure you want to be putting up with that kid right now, mam? He looks like he's had one too many red bulls!"

May shook her head at the comment, "It's fine. Please, let him come over. He's a welcome distraction right about now."

The group watched as the officer approached the crowd, pointed to Ned, and lifted the tape for him to come over and join the others.

Ned rushed over to the trio, breathless and talking quickly, "Oh man, am I ever glad to see you! I thought I'd never make my way to the front and get your attention!"

The adults smiled at the teenager, but he continued before they could say anything.

"MJ and I were at my house, waiting for Peter. MJ was, like... you know, getting all frustrated with waiting. So I just turned on the TV, and..." Ned put a hand to his chest, still out of breath, "... there he was! At first we were, like... woah..." Ned threw his hands out to the side of his head, "and then we were, like... ahhh!" He brought his hands to his head, "... and then it was just too much and I turned off the TV! We called 911... and then called you!"

The adults looked back and forth to one another, surprised that the teenager continued to ramble on.

"MJ's parents called her to come home, but I snuck out of my house because I needed to be here! Please don't tell my mom! I need to be here! I want to make sure Peter is okay? He is okay, right?" Ned lowered his voice to whisper and leaned closer, "You know... he'll be okay since he could, like, Spider it up or something, right? The bullet can't like... you know... really hurt him?"

"Ned!" May stopped him. "I know this is a lot to handle, but just try to take a breath, okay?"

Ned sucked in a deep breath and let it out, looking at May as if to await further instructions.

"Is he supposed to know about... you know?" Rhodes asked, looking at May.

"Ned is the only one of Peter's friends to... you know..." May didn't finish, nor did she have to. She didn't want to make too many comments about that side of Peter. There were too many curious people around to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Right... listen, kid," Rhodes started, "We can't know..." He didn't get to finish.

"Oh. My. God." Ned muttered in a loud whisper, leaning forward towards the others. With a slightly lower voice, "Are you... are you Colonel Rhodes? War Mach..."

"Kid!" Rhodes cut him off this time, looking around carefully. "Not here! Cool it, okay!" He looked around some more before continuing, "Tony and I are here undercover. We're just concerned friends here to help May, only a few officers even know..."

"Mr. Stark is here, too?" Ned asked excitedly, "Where?"

"SHHH!" the three adults scolded.

Ned lowered his voice again, "Sorry! Where?"

"He's working with the police captain in the van, helping them to get a visual inside. We'll know more about Peter's condition once they can see him," Rhodes explained.

"But why can't you, like, just go in there and..." Ned brought up his hands and made little guns with his pointer and thumb, "... pow, pow, pow?!"

"The bank robbers can't make any connections between Peter and Tony, especially the Avenger connection!" May explained quietly, growing impatient with the young man now.

"oh..." Ned said, still looking a little confused.

"This is Peter's life we're talking about, kid," Rhodes said, "We're not going to rush into anything."

Ned finally nodded his head, seeming to come back to reality, "He's in a lot of trouble, isn't he?"

The adults didn't really answer except to nod their heads sadly.

Rhodes suddenly brought his hands up and played with his sunglasses a little. "We have a visual!" He whispered to the others.

May frowned at him, a confused look on her face, "Wait... can you... do you see something with those sunglasses?"

"Tony made them, so..." Rhodes shrugged, "... yeah. He's controlling the drone now. He must have activated something so that I could see the feed. Oh..."

"What?!" May asked, reaching for the glasses. "Let me see!"

Rhodes brought a hand to his face to hold his glasses in place, while using the other hand to grab May's arm that was reaching for them. "May, NO! If you take these, I could be recognized! I'll tell you what I see... just... let's head back over closer to the van."

The others followed Rhodes back over to the police van/command center, which was even further away from listening ears.

"You saw something!" May said, "What did you see?"

"Umm..." Rhodes held up a finger to her, looking at something. "Okay... uh... there was the security guard... that was the first thing... it wasn't pretty."

"What about Peter?!" May demanded. "Do you see Peter?" Her voice was lowered, but her tone was sharp, wanting answers.

Rhodes continued to hold up his finger to her, "Oh man... yeah... just a moment..."

The others stood close, listening to his every word, and desperate to hear that Peter was alive and well.

Rhodes swallowed past a lump that was forming in his throat. He didn't know if he should tell May exactly what he was seeing or not. Something told him that she would be horrified to hear that her nephew was bound and gagged all while being surrounded by the other men who were behaving like a hungry pack of wolves.

"Rhodes?!" May scolded the man, wanting answers.

"He's alive..." Rhodes said, still trying to keep track of the video. "It looks like they're getting ready to make a call to the police." He turned to May, "He looks... okay..." he decided to leave out the specific details, deciding that "okay" was a good enough word to use since Peter was alive and breathing.

May let out a relieved breath, "Thank God! Will you be able to hear the phone call?"

"Maybe... there is a small microphone on the arm on the sunglasses, but it will be hard for me to hear much outside like this," Rhodes explained. "We'll just have to be patient. Tony will fill us in on audio when he can."

"Patient!" May spat out the word as she said it, "I'm getting really tired of people telling me to be patient."

* * *

Peter wasn't sure what to think. As Larry was getting ready to make the call, Peter's spider sense flared, feeling a little different. It wasn't really anything dangerous, but there was something happening. He had turned to see a spider on a wall across the room, and he sensed that it was not a typical spider.

His eyes shot open in realization, _"It's gotta be Mr. Stark!"_ he thought with a little excitement, _"That is Stark tech! It has to be! He's gonna get me outta here!"_

He had looked away quickly, not wanting to let the others know that he saw something. The spider was small, and he didn't really think the other men would even notice.

His attention was pulled back to Larry, who now had the phone to his ear. "It's ringing," the man said, looking down at Peter, "Remember what I told you... not one word other than what you were..."

Than man didn't finish as someone picked up the line, **"This is Captain Jenkins,"** The voice said.

"Cap'n Jenkins!" Larry greeted. "You wanted to talk to the kid, so he has a few things to say..."

Moe reached forward, ripping the tape from Peter's lips. Peter winced at the pain of it.

The phone was placed by his face, "Th..uh" *cough*

Peter's mouth was very dry, and he had trouble getting out his words. He cleared his throat and tried again, "This is Peter."

His voice sounded rough, even to his own ears.

 **"Peter? Son... are you alright? We know you were injured. Do you need medical attention?"** Jenkins asked.

Curly pointed his gun right at Peter's temple, digging it in a little and causing Peter to flinch. He looked up at Larry who was shaking his head, indicating for Peter to keep to the script. Moe was smirking in the background, finding the scene to be amusing somehow.

"Umm..." Peter swallowed, trying to pull moisture into his parched mouth. He wouldn't be given any water until he finished the phone call. "I'm supposed to tell you... that..." Peter took a breath, feeling the cold medal of the gun pressing into his head and finding it an unwelcome distraction.

"Come on, Pete!" Larry scolded. "Spit it out!"

Again, Peter tried to clear his throat. He hated being used and threatened like this. He knew Mr. Stark must be seeing this, so he had to be strong. Help wasn't far away. "... I'm supposed to tell you that I have a gun to my head. The men inside are demanding that you bring a helicopter to the roof of the building next door in no less than one hour..." Peter swallowed and took a breath before continuing, knowing the next part would be difficult to say and hard for anyone to hear. "If you do not deliver the chopper by that time, then they will put a bullet in my head..." Peter swallowed again, feeling Curly push the gun harder into his skull, "... just like they did to the security guard."

Peter looked up at Larry, who nodded his head for Peter to finish.

"Once the chopper arrives, I will be joining them as they go to the rooftop. If they see anyone, I'm dead. If they hear anyone coming, I'm dead." Peter's voice broke, and he hated how weak he sounded. He cleared his throat once more, summoning every once of strength and bravery to finish. "They will kill me if they have any reason to believe that you are trying to trick them and not let them leave. If you..."

Jenkins cut into what Peter was saying, **"I think I understand, Peter. Is the man who put you on the phone willing to speak to me again?"**

Peter didn't need to answer, Larry snatched up the phone having heard Jenkins' question for himself. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" Larry demanded. He nodded at Curly.

This wasn't part of the plan. Peter's senses flared, and something told him he was about to be in a world of hurt.

Curly removed the gun from Peter's head and jammed it into his injured shoulder with incredible force.

Peter couldn't help himself. A guttural scream left his mouth, the begging words coming despite how brave he wanted to be, "STOP! Puh-PLEASE! S-STOP!"

 **"What are you doing to him? Let's talk about this!"** Jenkins called over the phone.

Again Larry nodded, and Curly pulled his gun away. Fresh blood seeping through Peter's bandage.

Peter was breathing quickly, trying to fight the spots that floated in front of his eyes. He needed to stay awake. He needed to hear how this would end. Most importantly, he needed to show Mr. Stark that he was strong. He glanced over at the spider on the wall a moment, needing to see it there. He looked back at the men, seeing Moe preparing a fresh piece of tape. He shook his head, "No... ummfph!"

The tape was once again pressed hard over his lips, silencing him; also making it harder to take deep breaths. Again, Peter fought and forced himself to stay focused on what was happening.

"YOU WANT TO TALK, MR. POLICEMAN?! HUH?!" Larry was yelling into the phone. "DO YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE? DID THAT SOUND LIKE A FUCKING JOKE TO YOU?!" The man was in a rage, showing a side Peter hadn't seen before. The man took a few breaths, using a forceful tone to continue, "What you need to understand is that WE ARE IN CONTROL! Peter's life... his well-being is in OUR HANDS! If you step out of line once... just ONCE... you'll be cleaning up his brains off the ground! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?! You have ONE hour!" With that, Larry slammed the phone down, cutting off the communication with the outside.

Silence.

The area inside the bank was now dead silent, with only the rapid breathing of Peter and the other men filling the room.

Peter closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the counter, fighting to get his breathing under control. The flames of pain were tearing at the flesh around his gunshot wound. He felt sick and dizzy. He wanted to throw up! He could feel the bile rising and he was afraid he might choke on his own vomit.

"Wooh! Yeah!" Curly yelled, pumping an arm up in the air victoriously. "What a fucking rush, am I right?"

Larry smirked and raised his eyebrows up at his friends, "Think they got the message?"

They looked down at their squirming captive.

"You alright, Baby Boy?" Moe cooed.

Peter shook his head back and forth, desperately wanting the gag off.

"Sorry, sweetheart!" Moe cooed again, kneeling down and reaching forward. He brought his hands up to Peter's face, rubbing at his cheeks with his thumbs. "We didn't want anymore sound coming from you!"

Peter let out a soft sob from behind the gag, _"Don't touch me! That's not helping! I'm gonna be sick! Take it off! Take it off!"_

"Oh, SHIT!" Larry exclaimed, grabbing a garbage pail. "Look out!" He used his foot to nudge Moe, giving him the message to move.

 _"Oh, thank you, God!"_ Peter thought, realizing that Larry recognized his struggle. No sooner did the man rip the tape off and Peter let the bile and vomit spill into the can.

"Ugh! That's fucking disgusting!" Curly exclaimed.

"Poor thing!" Moe added, pretending to care.

Larry made a face and turned his head away, shooting Curly an accusing look, "This is your fault! You should be holding the puke bucket!"

"You're the one who wanted to make him scream!" Curly defended.

"I wanted you to make him scream, not make him SICK!" Larry yelled.

Peter was spitting into the garbage can now, breathing deeply. Anger surged through him. This wasn't fair! None of this was fair! "What the HELL did you think would happen?! FUCK! YOU!" Peter yelled.

Larry glared at Peter.

Peter returned the glare. He felt better after getting sick. He was mad. He felt his muscles pulsing. The pain was still surging from his wound, but his anger was stronger. They had NO IDEA who they were playing with! NO. IDEA.

"You done?!" Larry growled out, nodding towards the pail of puke.

Peter just nodded, not saying a word. He just continued to shoot daggers at his captors.

Larry stood up, tossing the pail off to the side and far enough away for the smell not to be a bother.

While Larry moved the garbage can, Curly stared back at Peter with rage. "Who do you think you are, huh? Look at you trying to be all tough! What kind of tough guy can't take a little pain, huh?"

Peter was still angry, and he couldn't stop himself, "I said..." he growled out, "FUCK. YOU."

Curly bent down, picking something up off the floor and swinging it at Peter's head.

The hit came from the left, knocking him onto his injured right side.

Peter held in the scream this time. He just groaned loudly, making it sound more like a prolonged growl.

He was laying on the floor, breathing heavily as his blood started to drip from the bandage.

"Enough!" Larry called. "Don't make him puke again!"

Peter opened his eyes, intending to shoot another look at Curly.

His heart nearly stopped when he saw what Curly had used to hit him... something that was still grasped firmly in the man's hand. His eyes widened at the sight, _"Shit! My backpack! He's holding my Backpack!"_

The other man seemed to notice where Peter's eyes went. "What's the matter, kid? You afraid I'll find your porn stash in here or something?" Curly put his bag on the counter.

Larry picked up the water bottle as Curly was reaching for the bag, preparing to see what Peter was so worried about. "Almost forgot," he said, picking up the bottle and removing the cap. "Here's your water you little PRICK!" With that, he began dumping the water on Peter's face, not caring if any of it went into his mouth.

Peter coughed and sputtered, licking at his lips in an attempt to pull in whatever water he could.

"Fix that!" Larry ordered Moe, pointing to the soiled bandage on his shoulder.

"Maybe I'll find something in here that you can use," Curly said to Moe, opening the front of Peter's bag.

 _"Oh, Shit! Mr. Stark, help me! Do something before they open my bag!"_ Peter thought frantically.

* * *

"What's happening?" May asked Rhodes frantically. "I thought I heard a scream coming from inside. Was it Peter? Rhodes? Talk to me! Did you hear anything?"

Rhodes didn't speak. He held up his hand to May, stopping her. He was looking straight ahead. To anyone else, it would look like he was staring off into the distance, but he was watching everything that was happening inside.

He decided to be honest with May, "They hurt him, May."

The women let out a small sob, grabbing onto Happy for support. Ned just hugged himself tightly, listening to see if anything else was said.

"He's a tough kid," Rhodes added, "He's holding his own as much as he can, but..."

"but what?" May asked. "Rhodes... Is he going to be okay?"

"I'm not sure... we may have a bigger problem on our hands," Rhodes said carefully.

"What the HELL does that mean?" May demanded, trying to keep her voice down.

Rhodes finally turned his head in her direction, "They're opening his bag."

"SHIT!" Came the soft and stunned replies. All three of the others offering the curse as a response at the same time.

That was definitely going to be a problem.

A black SUV suddenly appeared through the police barricade. They all watched as people began to file out.

FBI was written across the bulletproof vests of the individuals who were now heading in their direction.

"I'm Agent Samuels. Who's in charge here?" the one man asked the group.

This was most definitely going to be a problem.

* * *

 **A/N - Oh dear! Now what? What will Tony do? Will the police and FBI see what is taken out of Peter's bag? Will the FBI get in the way of Peter's rescue?**

 **Leave a review and share your thoughts! The next chapter will be coming soon!**


	6. Or Maybe You Do

**A/N: Same Disclaimer. You know the drill... the good characters belong to Marvel.**

 **Trigger warning for Violence.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: ...Or Maybe You Do**

Back inside the van, Tony was doing his best to keep his composure. Listening to Peter as he tried to hold himself together while delivering the demands was bad enough. Watching the brutal actions of his captors afterwards was even worse. He had seen Peter glance towards the spider drone, knowing the kid wanted... no NEEDED his help.

Tony was just getting ready to tell Jenkins that he'd seen enough. He was going to suit up and stop this once and for all. No one was going to stop him...

BUT... then he saw Peter's bag in the hands of the bank robbers.

"Shit!" Tony cursed quietly.

Jenkins heard and turned to him, "Should I be worried about what they're going to find?"

"Maybe..." Tony said, not ready to reveal too much. "I gave the kid a check to deposit it in his savings account this morning." Jenkins eyed him a moment, seeming surprised. "You seem surprised... I know... sending the kid with the check was a bit antiquated, but he insisted on doing it the old-fashioned way!" Tony watched the screen, "...And there it is... still in the front of his bag. I guess he never got the chance to finish his deposit." Tony shook his head, watching as McMann began to pull the check from the envelope.

Jenkins watched, too. "That wasn't what surprised me, Stark. I was surprised that you gave your intern money for his savings."

"The kid's a genius... bright future ahead of him..." Tony added before stopping to listen to what was happening inside.

 _"Are you shitting me?!" McMann exclaimed upon seeing the check. "Do you know what this is?" He asked his buddies while holding up the check slightly._

 _"No, you idiot! Why don't you tell us!" Grey sounded annoyed with the man._

 _"Baby Boy have a lot of money?" Hanes asked, eyeing up Peter on the floor._

 _"Stop calling me that!" Peter growled._

The retort made Tony smirk, "That a boy, Pete. Stay strong for me, kid." He said this quietly and mostly to himself, but the others could hear him. A couple nodded their heads as if to agree with his words of encouragement for Peter, even if the kid couldn't hear them.

 _"This is a $75,000 check!" McMann told the others._

 _"So... Petey does have a lot of money!" Hanes cooed, switching nicknames._

 _"No kidding..." Grey said, looking down at Peter. "You were holding out on us, Pete," he added._

 _"Oh no... that's not even the best part!" McMann told the others. "Guess who made out the check?"_

 _"Tell me." Grey commanded, clearly wanting the other man to get to the point._

Tony put his head in his hands and groaned, "Here we go..."

 _"It looks to me like this check is signed by none other than Tony Stark!" McMann proclaimed. "Made out to Peter Parker... on a Stark Industries check!"_

 _Hanes let out a whistle in amazement._

 _Grey stepped over Peter and grabbed the check from the other man, "Let me see that!" He studied it for a moment. "Holy SHIT!"_

 _Peter looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to squirm away or disappear into the wall._

 _Grey kept hold of the check and knelt down in front of Peter. He held of the check in front of Peter's face, "Do you have something you want to tell me?" He looked back at the check, "Peter Parker, Huh? Maybe you can enlighten me as to how you know a fucking BILLIONAIRE!?"_

 _Peter flinched as the man yelled out the final word. "I... uh... I started an internship with him a while ago. I'm just an intern! That's it!"_

 _Grey stood back up, still staring down at Peter. Hanes hadn't fixed the bandage on Peter's shoulder yet, and apparently Grey saw this as something to use to his advantage. The man lifted his foot and set it on top of the wound._

"Don't do it!" Tony growled at the screen. "Don't..."

 _Peter groaned slightly as Grey put a little pressure on the shoulder. "Why don't I believe you?" he said, pushing his foot down a little harder on the wound._

 _Sweat was pouring down Peter's face. He was biting his lip, trying not to give them the satisfaction of screaming again._ _"It's the truth!" Peter spat out._

 _Grey lifted the pressure for a moment. "You want me to believe that TONY STARK gave his INTERN $75,000?! No way! He probably has full time employees that don't even make that much in a year!"_

"Nope." Tony said, as if to answer the man in the video. "They make more."

Officer Hassler coughed, "You know... I'm pretty good with technology..."

Jenkins shot him a look, "Now is not the time, Hassler. Not the time..."

The men watched in horror at what came next.

 _McMann came over, lifting his foot. "You're going to have to go harder on him if you want the little bastard to be honest!" With that the large man firmly brought his foot down on Peter's right shoulder._

 _At first, Peter tried to hold in the scream, biting his lip so hard that blood could be seen. But the pain was too much... he yelled, "ARGH! NO! STOP! OKAY...I"LL TELL YOU!"_

 _McMann lifted his foot._

"What the hell are you doing, Peter?" Tony asked aloud. The others looked at him, clearly confused. "Um... it's just... he told them the truth!"

Tony lifted his thumb towards his phone. If necessary, he would cut the audio or even the whole video feed. He wasn't going to let the kid reveal his Spider-Man identity to the NYPD... at least not like this.

 _"It's fake! I forged it!" Peter cried out, lying to the men._

Tony shook his head, "I'm not sure that's going to work, kid." The lie was risky, and Tony wasn't sure he could handle watching these guys hurt his kid any more... at least not without doing something.

 _Hanes laughed, "If that's forged, we should bring him along to work with us! It looks pretty good from where I'm standing." The man eyed Peter hungrily._

The people in the van watching the video feed didn't miss the way Hanes looked at Peter. Everyone frowned, not at all liking the thought of Peter spending any more time with these men... especially in a situation where Hanes might be able to take advantage of the kid.

 _"You want me to believe that you pulled one over on Iron Man?" Grey asked, kneeling down in front of Peter again. "You want me to believe that a kid like you would think that he could get away with that? You thought Stark wouldn't notice if $75,000 went missing?"_

 _Peter gulped, "$75,000 isn't much to a billionaire, you know? It's... um... not really any strain on his bank account."_

Tony let out a small, short laugh to himself. He knew Peter was repeating the very same line that Tony used that morning to make Peter feel better about the amount on the check.

 _Grey eyed Peter carefully, seeming to think. "Maybe... just maybe you are telling the truth. It's a little far fetched to think the bank would fall for that, though. After all, Tony Stark doesn't seem like the type to write out big checks to dumb kids." Grey shook his head, "No... something is still off."_

 _The sweat continued to pour off of Peter, and his breathing was quick and shallow. It was obvious that he was nervous... and in a great deal of pain._

 _Grey looked over at the bag, nodding his head at it. "Hey..." he looked at McMann, "...what else is in that bag?"_

 _Peter was on the floor shaking his head back and forth. "No... don't! I'm telling you... uh... I'm just a dumb kid. Forging a $75,000 check seemed like a good idea at the time... that's it!"_

 _"Oh really?" McMann teased, reaching for the bag again. "Now I know I need to see what's inside. What's the big deal kid?"_

Jenkins turned his head to look at Tony, surprised to see anxiety on the other man's face. There was clearly more to worry about than just a check. There was something else to connect this kid to Tony. He turned back to the screen to see what it was.

 _"Let's see what we find..." the man opened the zipper into the main compartment of Peter's bag. Peter squirmed, clearly upset. "We have some notebooks... and... wait a minute..." The man was looking into the bag, his eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline. He stared down at Peter in amazement. "No! No way... this can't be real! No fucking way!" McMann was pulling something from the bottom of bag and..._

... there was a blank screen in the van.

"What the hell happened?" Jenkins barked, looking back at Tony. He was more than a little suspicious about losing the video.

"Well, shit!" Tony said, not sounding nearly as worried as he should. "The damn thing was a prototype anyway! Still a few bugs to work out... which is ironic, really!"

They all looked at the man, unsure if he was actually serious with that excuse.

"Something could be jamming the signal or causing interference," Tony offered. "Say... uh... Hassler? Was that your name? There's a job at Stark Industries waiting for you if you can get that back up and running."

Officer Hassler didn't waste time, nor did the other officers in the van. The timing may have been suspicious, but no one was willing to miss out on a chance to work with Tony Stark, especially if there was a shot at a $75,000 check like the kid had.

Jenkins ignored his officers. He watched as Tony went to leave the van. "Just where are you going?" He asked.

Tony reached for the van door, "I should fill May in on what's happening. Then I'm going to check with my guy outside... see if we can't get something else in there." Tony turned and starting opening the door, "... or someone in there." He had hoped Jenkins missed that statement.

He hadn't. "Hold on..."

Both men stopped and stared outside.

Tony slowly stepped out as Jenkins began to follow.

"Can I help you? My name is Captain Jenkins. I'm the one in charge here," he explained.

The FBI agents stared, clearly recognizing Tony Stark as the man to first exit the mobile command center.

Agent Samuels, clearly the agent in charge, spoke first, "We're hear to relieve you, Captain. We've been after the men inside for some time now." He looked back and forth between Tony and Jenkins, "Although... I'll have some questions for you."

May began to sob... perhaps a little too hysterical. "Oh why?! My boy! My boy! What about my boy? These men are wanted by the FBI and they have my boy!"

Tony was suspicious. He knew May well enough to know that this outburst was out of character for her. He looked at Rhodes as he stepped over, supposedly to offer comfort.

"This is very hard for her. Peter... that's the kid being held hostage inside," Rhodes clarified for the agents, "...he's the only family she has left."

Rhodes looked at Tony and Jenkins, "Captain, perhaps we can offer her some privacy. Is there somewhere we can take her to have a moment? Maybe we can help her to settle a bit? Offer her reassurance?"

Now Tony understood. They were trying to get away from the agents... to the privacy of Jenkins' car.

The other man also seemed to pick up on this, "Of course. Mrs. Parker, you're welcome to take a moment in my car. This way... I'll unlock it for you." He looked at the agents, "My men are inside. You can tell them that you'll be taking charge. Mr. Stark helped us to get video inside, but we lost the feed. They're trying to get it back, so maybe you'll have some suggestions? I'll be back... right after I help Mrs. Parker to my car."

Samuels didn't look thrilled, but he agreed to meet with the captain once he was finished and ushered his team over to get started.

As the group made their way over to his car, Jenkins said quietly to Tony, "You owe me for this... preferably in the form of an explanation."

"Yeah, yeah..." Tony responded. "Let's get inside the car first."

The truth was that Tony and Rhodes were still very much aware of what was going on inside. He had only cut off the video to the A/V in the van. The sunglasses that he and Rhodes were wearing still showed the images inside perfectly.

Happy agreed to wait outside the car with Ned as May, Tony, Rhodes, and Captain Jenkins slid inside the vehicle.

Once the doors were closed, Jenkins even went as far as to lock them before turning back to Tony, "Cut the Bullshit! Why did you cut the feed?"

Tony shrugged, "I only cut your feed." He tapped on his glasses, "Rhodes and I can still see what's happening."

"And just what else is happening?" May cut in. "Did they find... you know...?"

"They did," Tony confirmed.

"Shit!" May said.

"What? What did they find? This isn't about the damn check, is it? Jenkins asked, growing frustrated.

"What's happening now? Is he okay?" May asked, not bothering to answer the captain just yet.

Rhodes answered, "Uh... yeah... those guys seem to be checking... you know... they're checking it out."

"SOMEBODY BETTER TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!" Jenkins burst out.

The others blinked at him, surprised by the outburst.

Tony sighed, "May... I think this one should be up to you. Think we can trust Captain Jenkins?"

May looked thoughtful for a moment, studying the man in the driver's seat. "Can we trust you, Captain Jenkins? If we tell you something, can you promise not to tell the other officers or the FBI?"

Jenkins shook his head in exasperation, "It depends on what it is, mam! I have a sworn duty to protect the people of this city! While that includes your boy in there, I can't keep the secret if it puts anyone else at risk!"

May nodded, "Okay... I get that. But... can you at least promise to keep what I'm about to tell you inside this car... at least until we tell you otherwise?"

Jenkins studied the others.

"Oh damn..." Tony said. "Now they have the kid's phone, scrolling through the contacts most likely." He looked at Jenkins. "We need you to decide. I could be getting a phone call shortly, so if you would rather not know, then you need to tell us now so that we can kick you out of the car!"

"It's my car!" The man responded sharply. Jenkins shook his head, trying to think. "God help me, but... I trust you. If it weren't for you, I would have lost my son years ago during that invasion. If he had died, I wouldn't even have my grandson!"

The others were quiet, letting that information sink in.

"The point is... if you believe that this is an important secret to keep, then... I'll keep it. I trust you," Jenkins said.

"I need you to swear," May said. "This is the biggest secret in Peter's life, captain." May leveled him with a serious stare, "I need you to swear on your son's life that you will keep this secret unless we tell you otherwise."

Jenkins studied the expression on May's face. He knew this was important. He supposed if his own son had an important secret that he might do the same thing. "I swear to you, Mrs. Parker. Whatever you tell me will stay with me."

May nodded her head, seeming to believe him. "Okay then... that boy in there," she pointed towards the bank, "...is training with Tony to become an Avenger. Peter is... well... he's Spider-Man! And those men inside have just found his Spider-Man suit."

Jenkins blinked at May in disbelief. He turned to look back at Tony and Rhodes before looking back at May. "I'm sorry... WHAT?! You're telling me that a 16-year old kid is the Spider-Man? THE SPIDER-MAN?"

The others nodded in confirmation.

"Spider-Man is a high school kid?" Jenkins took a moment to let that sink in. He stared back at the bank, "... and Spider-Man is being held hostage by some criminals wanted by the FBI? And we're supposed to keep that information from getting out to all of the people outside?!"

Again, the others nodded in confirmation.

The captain scrubbed his hands over his face, "Shit! I should've gotten out of the car!"

Tony's phone suddenly rang, Peter's name and picture showing on the screen.

"How about you get out now and distract the FBI for us while I take this call?" Tony asked. Upon seeing Jenkins' doubtful face, he added, "We'll keep you informed, captain. But we need your help with those FBI agents out there."

Jenkins nodded, "Okay... you got it." With that, he unlocked and exited his car.

Before the door had even closed, Tony hit the button to answer his phone. He knew he would need to act as though he didn't know what was happening inside. He couldn't let these men know that he could see them. Tony put his finger to his lips, indicating for May and Rhodes to stay quiet.

With the phone on speaker, he said, "Peter? Is that you? Kid, are you alright in there? What the hell is happening?"

* * *

Peter couldn't believe any of this. How had this day gone so horribly wrong?

He could have died when Curly pulled his mask out from the bottom of the bag, with the whole suit soon to follow.

"No! No way... this can't be real! No fucking way!" Curly had said, pulling the items from the bag.

"What the hell?" Larry said, stepping forward to take a closer look.

Moe was shaking his head in disbelief, "Just who are you, Petey?"

Peter was shaking, chills taking him over. He really didn't feel good, and this most recent discovery wasn't helping. _"Perhaps it would be better if they just killed me?"_ He thought to himself, hating the idea of any more criminals learning his secret. Toomes was bad enough! Now he had to deal with these assholes!

He realized the men were staring at him, expecting an answer. Peter wasn't in the mood and just said the first thing he could think of, "Would you believe it's my Halloween costume?" He asked.

"About as much as I believe you managed for forge a check for Stark Industries," Larry answered in an annoyed tone.

Peter scrunched his brows together, "So... is that a yes or a no?" He knew it was a no, but being a smart ass was a bit of a default setting for Peter.

"NO!" Curly answered for his friend. "We do not believe that this fancy suit is a cheap Halloween costume!"

Larry was shaking his head, examining the suit and holding it in his hands out in front of himself to get a better look. "You know what I think, Pete?"

He put the suit down and walked over to Peter, "I think you do know Tony Stark, but not as just an average intern."

Peter swallowed nervously. He didn't like the glint of excitement in the other man's eyes, like Peter was the fly caught in their web.

Moe grabbed the suit and the mask, caressing the mask a little and staring at Peter in wonder.

Curly had gone a step further and discovered Peter's web-shooters, as well as his cell phone.

"Jackpot!" He called, playing with the web-shooters and accidentally setting it off and nearly webbing Moe in the face.

Peter wished that he hadn't missed.

Larry let out a laugh of amusement, "Nope... not an average intern at all. I think..." he knelt down closer to Peter, pulling out his gun and waving in front of Peter's face. "I think... you know Tony Stark because you are Spider-Man! You're like... you know... the baby Avenger!"

Peter sighed and closed his eyes after a new wave of dizziness. The teasing with the gun in his face wasn't helping any, either.

"Ha!" Moe laughed. "That's a good one! Baby Boy is the Baby Avenger!"

"And we have his cellphone!" Curly exclaimed. "What's your code, kid?"

Peter didn't answer at first and only opened his eyes after hearing the sound of Larry cocking his gun.

"You heard the man..." Larry insisted, aiming the gun at his face. "We already know Spider-Man isn't bulletproof. What. is. your. code?"

Peter swallowed, feeling utterly defeated, "0719."

Larry replaced the hammer on his gun, "See? Was that so hard?" He looked at Curly, "Check out the contacts! Look for Stark!"

Peter shook his head a little, hating every moment of this.

"Gentlemen, we thought that our job here today was ruined!" Larry said, a smile on his face. "But we have managed to capture ourselves a Baby Avenger! And I'm willing to bet that Tony Stark will pay a lot of money for us to give him back and keep that secret!"

Peter was trying to think of something. The thought of Tony being forced to comply with these jerks, set Peter's blood to boil and gave him a tiny burst of energy. "You're wrong!" Peter said, "I'm not an Avenger. I... uh... I turned them down! I prefer to work alone. That check? It... uh... was sort of like a severance pay!" The new lie rolled out of Peter's lips before he could stop it or really consider what he was saying.

Larry brought the gun down in his face again, "I really hope you're trying to lie to me again." He pressed the gun against Peter's forehead, "Because if Stark doesn't want you, we'll leave you with a brand new hole in your little Spider head!"

 _"Oops,"_ Peter realized, _"Probably should have seen that coming."_

He knew that the little spider drone on the wall likely had video, but he couldn't be sure of audio. He had glanced over that way a few times, noticing that the little spider was up higher on the wall and closer to the ceiling. He figured that would make it harder for the men to see. Now, he hoped that Mr. Stark couldn't hear, simply because he was a little embarrassed that he wasn't coming up with better lies.

"Got Stark's number!" Curly said triumphantly, handing the phone to Larry.

"If anything..." Larry said, preparing to make the call. "I doubt you turned them down... looking at just how WEAK you are... I'm betting you didn't make the cut!"

Peter would be lying if he said those words didn't sting a little. He felt like a failure, and he was pretty sure this day would make him look bad. Why would the team want Spider-Man if he couldn't even stand up to a group of bank robbers?

The anger coursed through Peter's veins again. He wanted to show these assholes just what Spider-Man could do. He didn't even care if he would die trying.

Peter was breathing deeply, trying to get a feel for just how much strength he could summon up to break free and attack these jerks. Then, he heard him...

 **"Peter? Is that you? Kid, are you alright in there? What the hell is happening?"**

Tony's voice filled the room.

Peter blinked in surprise. He hadn't even realized that Larry actually made the call.

"Well, Well, well... what do you know?" Larry said. "So nice to hear your voice, Tony Stark! Or do you prefer Iron Man?"

 **"Who are you? What have you done with Peter?"** Tony's voice commanded, ignoring the question as to what Larry should call him.

Peter was sure Mr. Stark must see him, so he figured his mentor was likely putting on an act. Larry gave him an expectant look and returned the gun to Peter's head, making him realize he was meant to speak up, "I'm here, Mr. Stark."

Again, Peter hated how weak his own voice sounded. _"I cannot be this weak,"_ Peter thought. _"Avengers aren't supposed to be this weak!"_

"There? You hear? He's fine!" Larry said.

 **"What do you want?"** Tony asked.

"Oh... I'm just curious," Larry said. "Just HOW MUCH is Spider-Man worth to you?"

Larry, Curly, and Moe smiled to one another.

And Peter became more determined than ever to find a way to wipe those smiles clean off their faces.

* * *

 **A/N: There you have it! The problems just keep piling up, and there are still plenty of unanswered questions. Keep reading to find out what happens next. Will Tony come up with a plan? Or will Peter only get himself into more trouble before help can arrive?**

 **Remember:**

 **To Tony and the others, the bad guys are Xander Hanes, Albert McMann, and Jackson Grey**

 **They're still Larry, Curly, and Moe to Peter.**


	7. A few Instructions

**A/N: Marvel still owns all of the really cool characters.**

 **Same trigger warning for violence.**

 _Italics are thoughts_

 **Bold words are comments made over the phone**

 _Underlined and Italics are scenes being watched on the video_

* * *

 **Chapter 7: A Few Instructions**

"Oh... I'm just curious," Larry said. "Just HOW MUCH is Spider-Man worth to you?"

Peter gulped and breathed through his dizziness some more. He was trying to muster up any strength that he could, trying to take stock of just how well he might be able to fight back. The only problem was that he felt a little more dizzy as he did this, so deep breaths were important. He hated that Mr. Stark was getting pulled into this. He hated the pain. He hated feeling weak. Most of all, he hated the three men doing this to him. He focused on this hate, hoping it would fuel him and help him to find more strength somewhere deep within.

 **"So you know then, huh? You figured out that the kid was Spider-Man, so you thought you'd call me?"** Tony's voice was full of agitation, but Peter could hear the anxiety hidden within the words. **"What do you want? His Report Card from Avengers Tower or something? Let me tell you... that kid is worth a A LOT! You're messing with the wrong guy here!"**

Peter wondered briefly who Mr. Stark meant by messing with "the wrong guy." Did he know Peter was ready to fight back? Or was he referring to himself as Iron Man? He realized his captors assumed Tony meant himself based on Larry's response...

"Oh, really?!" Larry said. "Is that what we're doing? Messing with the wrong guy?"

Curly snarled down at Peter as Larry spoke, his gun out. Peter noticed the man's finger twitching near the trigger, realizing he'd have to keep a close eye on him if he could break free.

"It's funny..." Larry went on.

Peter didn't really think any of this was funny.

"... you say Spider-Man is worth a lot, but you've done nothing but sit back in this time that he's been our guest," Larry stated. "Maybe he's not worth too much after all. Maybe we should just leave him for you with a bullet to the head? Based on his poor performance here today, I'm sure you could find someone better to take his place on the team!"

 **"Shut your damn mouth! Perhaps I wasn't clear... That kid is a very VALUABLE member of my team!"** Tony insisted through the phone. **"Cut the shit, huh? You know he's valuable... otherwise you wouldn't have called me! So... what do you really want?"**

"Alright, Iron Man. Straight to the point then? You're clearly a busy man with better things to do today than to waste too much time on the little Spider-Boy," Larry eyed Peter with a look, enjoying the way Peter squirmed as he spoke.

Little did he know that Peter was starting to pull on his bound hands, and the tape was giving way to Peter's strength. It was just too bad that Peter's head was pounding as a result of the effort.

"The kid was carrying a check for $75,000. How about we add a couple of zeros to that number?" Larry continued. "You can have this little shit back for $7.5 million!"

Peter stopped his movements, staring at the man on the phone. _"Is he serious?"_ Peter thought. _"He can't actually think that Mr. Stark would..."_

 **"Fine,"** Tony agreed. **"Let me guess... You want that delivered in small bills? I deliver it alone or Peter's toast? That lame bullshit?"**

The men in the room looked at each other in confusion, surprised at Tony's confident and arrogant tone.

"Is this guy for real?" Moe asked. "Does he care about Petey Boy or not?"

Larry shook his head, clearly frustrated that he didn't have Tony quivering in fear on the other end of the phone.

"You're not used to being the one taking orders, are you?" Larry spat out.

 **"You gave one order... $7.5 million. I'm trying to speed things up a bit. Let's get you on your way, so that I can get the kid back."** Tony answered.

"No... I have a few more instructions than that!" Larry snapped. "The police should be bringing us a chopper to the building next door within the next 20-30 minutes. "Your job is to get that money on the chopper so that it is there waiting for us. Once we are safely on the chopper with YOUR money, we'll let you have Peter Spider."

 **"You think that I keep that money laying around?"** Tony barked back. **"You're plan seems a bit flawed..."**

"You have a hell of a lot of nerve!" Larry started, only to have Tony finish with a surprising comment.

 **"... Your price is too low and you plan is SHIT! How about I make sure you get that chopper and wire $10 million to an offshore account in the Cayman Islands for you? No bills to trace... just an account with your name on** **it."**

"Fuck yeah!" Curly cried out, excited about the unexpected turn of events.

Larry looked skeptical, "You don't even know my name. You can't create an account!"

 **"You know who you're talking to, right?"** Tony boasted. **"Who am I speaking with? Is this Grey, McMann, or Hanes? I'm guessing Jackson Grey. Based on my research, you seem to be the brains of your little operation. Small brain, but still..."**

"How in the hell could you know THAT?" Larry shrieked (or maybe Peter should think of him as Grey now).

 _"Way to go, Mr. Stark. Cut these assholes down to size!"_ Peter thought, feeling the tape around his wrists and ankles give a little more.

 **"We all know, Grey. The police... the FBI agents gathering outside on the scene... you idiots haven't really kept a low profile,"** Tony remarked.

"That a mistake! We'll kill him!" Larry threatened, bringing his gun up towards Peter. The man was flustered, likely feeling pinned down knowing that the police and FBI were outside.

 **"No... KILLING Peter would be the mistake. I'm your best chance here, Grey. Take the offer! 10 million dollars in an offshore account. I'll even make sure the cops and feds let you catch your flight! What do you say? All you have to do is let. Peter. go! No more injuries! I want him alive! You do that... and the rest is yours!"** Tony's voice sounded mostly calm, but Peter picked up on the urgency in his tone.

"It sounds too good to be true," Grey said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I think you're full of SHIT! No way... you're up to something!"

 **"You asked how much he's worth to me..."** Tony insisted. **"He's worth at least that much! You keep to your end of the bargain, and that money is all yours."**

The robbers looked back and forth to each other, conflicted about whether or not to believe this.

"Fine! But I'm going to need a little something in advance... ten percent," Grey insisted. "I want 1 million waiting for us on that chopper, and the rest can go into that account. We see that money... and your little failure of a hero is all yours!"

 **"Deal."** Tony responded.

If Mr. Stark said anymore, Peter didn't hear him. Grey's last comment about being a failure was the final motivation that Peter needed. He ripped through the tape around his arms and legs, and launched himself at the man he now knew to be Jackson Grey.

He just forgot to keep an eye on Curly and that twitchy trigger finger.

* * *

May was an absolute wreck. Tony had the phone on speaker, and she had to place the palm of her hand over her own mouth just to keep from making any noise. She didn't want Tony to take the phone off of speaker because of her. She needed to hear this part. She felt cut out of everything else that had to do with getting Peter out of that bank, so she would keep herself quiet and calm as much as possible. It was challenging at times, especially when Tony got cocky with his comments to the bank robbers. She knew that he would never intentionally do anything to get Peter hurt, but it was still hard to trust someone else with her boy's well-being. She was relieved that Tony increased the amount of money, as it seemed like something that interested the men negotiating with Tony. She was even more relieved to hear Tony agree to their expectations and instructions.

"Deal" Tony had responded. "I will..."

"No! What the hell does he think he's doing?!" Rhodes exclaimed, watching something through the video feed that only he and Tony could see.

"What?" Guys... what's going on?"

Tony tried yelling into the phone, "Peter, no! McMann, don't even think about..."

 ****BANG****

May couldn't stop the scream that escaped her lips. "PETER?!" she called, desperate to know if he was okay.

More gasps and screams could be heard from the crowd outside. People had heard the sound of the newest gunshot coming from inside of the bank.

The police and FBI were also scrambling around, trying to determine what was going on and whether or not the young hostage inside was still alive.

Tony had left the phone on, not wanting to end the call in case he might be able to learn the fate of his dear, young friend.

They all listened as groans and heavy breathing came over the speaker. There had clearly been a scuffle inside of the bank. Luckily for the people in the car, this kept their outbursts and cries of concern go unnoticed. The men still didn't know that they were being watched.

"What the hell did you do?" Tony called into the phone.

May couldn't take this anymore. She leaned over the seat and grabbed the glasses off of Rhodes' face.

"Hey..." the man protested, "May... don't!"

May quickly brought the glasses to her face, using her hands to keep them in place in case Rhodes would try to pull them back. Tony must have indicated to Rhodes that he should let her see because he didn't try to recover his high tech eye wear from her.

Rhodes whispered to her instead, "Watch quietly, May! We're still on speaker phone!"

May bit her lip as she was finally able to see what was going on.

 _Grey was on the floor, wriggling around in pain with his hand to his face. Blood seemed to be pouring from his nose._

 _"FUCK!" The man cursed loudly. "I think that stupid little shit broke my nose. Albert, what did you do? Tell me you didn't kill him?"_

 _Peter was on the ground, holding his right leg and writhing in pain._

"Oh God... Peter!" May breathed out quietly. She was terrified to see Peter's appearance. Her poor boy was extremely pale, and she could see the blood (old and new) around the wound at his right shoulder. She could see the ripped tape around his wrists and feet, along with bruising from the tight bindings. She had no idea that they had tied Peter up, and the reality of that kind of cruelty to her nephew brought new tears to her eyes. The worst part, however, was the new blood that was coming from the outer side of Peter's upper right leg.

 _Grey sat up, looking from McMann to Peter, "Please tell me you didn't hit anything important! I will kill you if we lose that $10 million!""_

 _"So we're using names now, huh?" Albert McMann shook his head. "Don't worry JACKSON, he'll be fine! It's just another flesh wound. It was either that or watch as he tore your head off!"_

 _"That was awesome!" Hanes laughed, causing the other men to look at him with annoyance. "Oh, come on! You saw him... he just pulled free from his binds and leaped towards Jackson like a real little spider attacking his prey! I mean really... that little Avenger wannabe launched at Jackson, and then *BANG* Albert brought him back down!" The man chuckled some more, "You can't pay for that kind of entertainment! And I had a front row seat!"_

 _The other men just shook their heads at Xander's continued amusement._

"HEY!" Tony called into the phone. "You better be sure that the kid is alright! If he dies, you get NOTHING! Do you hear me?"

 **"Yeah, yeah... don't worry, Stark. The kid will be fine!"** McMann called into the phone.

"What were you thinking? You could've hit his femoral artery! You need to make sure he doesn't bleed out!" Tony scolded.

"Tony, no!" Rhodes whispered harshly.

 **"Femoral artery?"** Grey suddenly asked. **"How the hell did you know that he was shot in the leg?"**

Tony closed his eyes, smacking his head on the back of the seat as if to reprimand himself for the mistake. "Umm... I didn't. I just meant you could have hit the femoral or any other important artery. You can't just shoot him every time he's about to get the better of you!" Tony tried, hoping they would buy his lie.

They didn't.

 _The men looked around the bank, back and forth and up and down._

 **"I don't think so... I think you can see us!"** Grey accused. **"Where are you? If you think you're going to come in here and break our deal, so help me... I will kill the kid right before your very eyes!"**

 _Peter had stopped moving, looking to be unconscious once again. As he spoke, Grey had recovered his own gun and was moving towards Peter. The men inside were clearly afraid that Iron Man had somehow infiltrated the area and was coming to get them._

"Relax, Grey!" Tony called to him. "I've had eyes on you for awhile now. It started as a way to try and assist the police, but I cut them off as soon as you started to rummage through Peter's things. You didn't actually believe that I wasn't keeping a tab on things in there, did you?"

 **"How... how did you... where is it?"** Grey called out.

"Don't worry about that! It doesn't really matter at this point! Do we still have a deal or not? The authorities heard the shot inside, and you're supposed to get your chopper soon! If you want that money, I need to update the police and FBI in order to get things moving!" Tony explained. "Now you know that I will be watching you! If you hurt another hair on Peter's head, I will lower the amount. You're lucky I haven't lowered the amount already since you shot him again!"

 **"Fine! We'll patch him up! Don't worry!"** Grey said, using the bottom of his shirt to wipe the blood from his nose. **"You do your part and we'll do ours!"**

"One more final detail... when the time comes, I am going to meet you on that roof! No Iron Man suit! Just me and the first million!" Tony tried.

 **"You kidding me? No way!"** Grey argued.

"Someone needs to be there to help Peter when you let him go!" Tony reasoned. "You give him to me on that roof, or I won't finalize the transfer to the account in the Caymans!"

 **"Shit!"** Grey spat. **"Fine, Stark. But no tricks! You pull a fast one and you get him back with an extra hole in the head! Is that clear?"**

"Crystal," Tony said. Tony looked at the time. "I'll meet you up there in about 15 minutes. As soon as that chopper lands, I better see you making your way over to it with Peter!"

 **"Fine!"** Grey said, ending the call once and for all.

Tony, May, and Rhodes all let out a breath.

May took off the glasses and handed them back to Rhodes, "Here... I've seen enough."

Rhodes gave her a sympathetic look as he took back his glasses and placed them back on his face.

Tony looked out the window to see Captain Jenkins heading back to the car with FBI Agent Samuels right beside him.

Tony sighed, "Now I just have to get the FBI to agree to all of this." Tony gave a smirk to May and Rhodes, "I think I have a plan... one that I think they will agree to." He began to open the car door and step out. May and Rhodes followed his lead. "I just hope I can make all of this happen before our time runs out"

* * *

Jenkins did the best he could to explain things to the FBI. Agent Samuels was naturally skeptical of the explanation of Tony's presence, but he seemed to drop that since there were other things to worry about.

Samuels was also suspicious of the lost video feed, telling Jenkins that it seemed strange for any Stark tech to simply stop working.

Jenkins shrugged and changed the subject, "They want a helicopter. We need to have it on the roof next door by around 4:30... that's in about 20 minutes already. It should be on the way." Jenkins couldn't believe just how long this had all been going on. Time was passing quickly. By the time the chopper arrived, it would be over six hours since this had all started.

"You agreed to give them a chopper?" Samuels asked.

"We needed a way to get them outside," Jenkins explained. "It seemed like a good opportunity to take them out and get to the kid."

Samuels nodded, looking doubtful. "Why the roof next door?" he asked.

Jenkins looked up, "They're smart. They must have done their research. There isn't enough room for a chopper to land on the roof of the bank; plus, there's no way to get to the roof from inside the building. They'll have to go out back into the alley and use the fire escape on the neighboring building to get up to the roof. It'll also be tricky to set up any snipers out back, not discreetly anyway. It's a small alley, and there aren't many windows to use in those buildings... none we have access to anyway."

"Leave that to us," Samuels said. "I'll have my team scope out some places so that we can see them come out. We cannot afford to let these men get away."

Agent Samuels looked over to the car where Tony and the others were meeting, "I'm not sure how I feel about Stark. I get the feeling that he knows more than he is telling us. Do you think he will do anything to make trouble?"

Jenkins shook his head, "No... Tony Stark cares too much about..."

 ***BANG***

Jenkins and Samuels heard the gunshot from inside of the bank, and both men rushed back over to the mobile command center.

Agent Samuels shouted at the team inside, "Did you get the video back yet? What is going on in there? We need to know who is shooting!"

The officers and agents inside all shook their heads, indicating that there was no way to see who took the shot.

"Damn it!" Samuels yelled, looking back at Jenkins.

Jenkins was looking over at the car, and Samuels studied the police captain as he looked at it.

Jenkins caught the other man staring at him, "What is it, Agent?"

"Why have they been taking so much time in your car? I can't help the feeling that there is something that you aren't telling me, Captain." Samuels accused.

Captain Jenkins shrugged, looking a little nervous, "I was just wondering if they could hear that shot from inside the car."

Samuels nodded, "They should have noticed that something happened. This crowd out here made enough of a fuss." He eyed Jenkins carefully, "Why wouldn't they come out to see what's going on?"

Jenkins shrugged, choosing to say nothing in response.

"You know what I think?" Samuels said, "I think Stark knows exactly what's going on in there!"

"Oh... I don't know..." Jenkins said, struggling to find something to say.

"How about we go find out?" Samuels asked. He didn't wait for Jenkins to answer. Instead, he began walking towards the car.

Jenkins jogged to catch up to the man.

As they approached, Tony and the others were exiting the car.

"Stark!" Samuels called, stepping up in front of Tony as he was out of the car. "We need to talk! Despite what the captain says, I think you know more about what's going on inside that bank!"

Tony leveled Agent Samuels with a confident stare, "It's true. I do tend to know more than other people..."

Samuels rolled his eyes.

"...and that is true in this case as well," Tony told him. "Your timing is perfect, actually. We need to talk to you, too, Agent!"

"Speak," the man said.

"The guys inside found my intern's phone and thus... my phone number," Tony explained, looking at Jenkins and hoping the man would realize that they were still sticking to that story.

"Did they call you?!" Samuels asked, his voice showing clear agitation. "You need to tell us these things!"

"I'm telling you now," Tony explained. "Didn't really have time to tell you earlier."

"What did you say? You know there was another gunshot, right?" Samuels accused.

Tony had a worried look on his face, but answered, "Yeah... that wasn't anything I said. The kid wasn't happy with their demands, so he tried to fight them."

"He what?" Jenkins asked with concern, "Is he alright?"

Tony nodded, "He should be okay, but we need to get him medical attention sooner rather than later. Apparently, they shot him in the leg."

Samuels shook his head, "That's a lot for one kid to take."

The others stayed quiet, keeping the fact that Peter wasn't an average kid to themselves.

Samuels furrowed his brows in thought, "Wait a minute, Stark... you said the kid wasn't happy with their demands. What demands?"

"They wanted me to put $7.5 million dollars on their chopper," Tony explained.

"Are you kidding me?" Samuels looked at his watch, "We don't have enough time to pull that off! Tell me you didn't agree to that!"

"Of course not!" Tony said, acting offended. "I offered them more money."

"YOU WHAT?!" Samuels and Jenkins said in unison, both shocked.

"Don't worry! I have a plan!" Tony explained. "It's quite simple actually, but I'm going to need you guys to let me take things from here."

"NO! No way!" Samuels argued.

"Relax, AGENT!" Tony commanded. "You're going to like my plan... I promise!"

Samuels and Jenkins shared a look. Both men realizing that they had no other choice but to trust Iron Man with whatever happened next.

* * *

 **A/N: So what is Tony's plan going to be? Will they let Peter go once they're on the roof?**

 **These questions will be answered with the next chapter. I hope to have it up no later than Tuesday afternoon. In the meantime, feel free to review and share your thoughts!**


	8. Trust Me

**A/N: Marvel own the marvelous characters. The rest are the result of my overactive imagination.**

 **Trigger warning for violence.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Trust Me**

The room was spinning. Peter wasn't sure if he was on the ceiling or the floor. The idea to break free and attack played out as a better idea in his head. Getting shot a second time was not the plan, and the pain on his right side now seemed to radiate from head to toe.

The burst of strength and rapid movement had not been his friend.

Peter decided the best thing at this point was to lean his head back, close his eyes, and be still. He wasn't really sure if he lost consciousness or not, but he was still very aware of the other men in the room. He was able to catch bits and pieces of their conversation with one another, but he couldn't be sure who was talking.

He heard things like, "Stark better not try anything stupid" and "We'll just shoot him in the head.

 _"That's not very nice,"_ Peter thought. _"Don't shoot Mr. Stark in the head!"_

Then he heard, "Stark cares about this stupid kid too much. He'll do whatever we ask of him in order to get him back without a new hole in his head."

 _"Oh..."_ Peter thought again. _"They want to shoot me in the head... yeah... I guess that makes sense. They might as well finish the job,"_ He thought bitterly.

To say that Peter was disappointed that he couldn't win this fight was a serious understatement. He was beginning to think that he would never to be able to look Mr. Stark in the eyes again... not after a failure like this. He was officially losing hope... in himself.

Peter trusted that Tony would try to help him. The problem was that Peter didn't trust himself to recover from this. He didn't know if Spider-Man would be able to recover from this particular loss.

Peter was so occupied with his thoughts of self-doubt, that he didn't even sense the approach of one of his captors. At least not until he felt the hands.

Peter forced his eyes open to see who was there. Kneeling next to him with his torn jacket and tape was none other than Moe... or what were the names Mr. Stark had said?

Peter watched as the man wadded up some of the cloth and pressed it to the new wound in his leg.

Peter winced as the man began to place the makeshift bandage around his leg. He decided to say something in hopes of distracting himself, "So... which one are you really? Albert or..." Peter scrunched his brows together in order to recall the other name, "...Xander?"

The man gave him a sickening smile, "You can call me Xander, Baby Boy. I won't mind."

Peter clenched his jaw in annoyance as the Xander again used the hated nickname.

Hanes continued, nodding his head toward the man Peter had referred to as Curly, "That's Albert over there. I'm afraid Al seems to have a taste for shooting you, though." Hanes began to secure the fabric around Peter's leg with the tape, letting his hand stray far too high on Peter's inner thigh in the process.

Peter flinched at the touch, "Watch it! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Peter looked at the man in disgust.

The creepy smile on Hanes' face grew wider, "I just want to make you feel better." He brushed his hand along Peter's right thigh, squeezing a little once he reached the inner area.

"Stop it!" Peter yelped, disgusted by the man's attention.

"Knock it off, Xander!" Grey called to him. "I told you to only patch him up! We can't afford any of your nonsense right now. Get the kid ready, so that we can move him! We have a chopper to catch!

Hanes reluctantly moved his hand and finished the bandage on the leg. "You're no fun, Jackson!" Hanes complained. He caught Peter's eye and bent down to whisper in Peter's ear, "Maybe we'll have a little more time on the flight." He winked and then began to turn his attention to the soiled bandage on Peter's shoulder.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Peter groaned out as the man began to peel off the old bandage. "I won't... argh!" He winced as the old bandage was pulled free. Peter didn't finish his sentence, instead he took deep breaths to fight the newest wave of dizziness.

"That could look better," Hanes commented, noticing the irritation and signs of infection starting to show around the wound. Regardless of how it looked, the man continued his inadequate patch job on Peter's shoulder.

Peter took a few more breaths as Hanes worked, and then continued to finish what he was saying earlier, "I'm not going with you! I don't wan... mmfphh!"

A piece of tape was suddenly pressed down hard over his lips.

"Shhh..." Hanes hushed, looking up and around a little for the hidden camera he now knew to be there. "That's our little secret," he whispered, rubbing his hand along Peter's cheek.

Peter raised his hands, still free from his earlier attempt. "Al!" He called to McMann, "Give me a hand over here!" Peter tried to get the tape off his mouth, but McMann came over and put his foot on Peter's leg wound.

"Hands by your side, asshole!" he scolded, "Let him finish patching you up!"

Peter reluctantly complied, but he shook his head back and forth furiously. "Mmm Mmnnn!" He moaned loudly from behind the tape. _"No way!"_ He thought, _"Mr. Stark will never let you take me on that helicopter!"_

"All set!" Hanes said. "Let's sit you up again, huh?" Hanes cooed down at Peter.

 _"Stop touching_ me!" Peter thought as Hanes pulled him up into a sitting position, preparing to once again secure his hands behind his back. The man had no problem letting his hands roam as he worked. "MMmmpff mm humn mmnfff!" He was thinking _, "Get your hands off!"_

"Cut the Shit, Xander! Let's just secure his hands and get moving!" McMann said.

Grey was once again wiping blood from his nose, "Use the whole fucking roll of duct tape this time!" He clearly wanted to make sure Peter would not break free again.

Hanes tightly wrapped the tape around Peter's already bruised wrists. He even went as far as the wrap the tape all around Peter's hands, leaving Peter's hands and wrists tightly bound in duct tape.

"That should keep you in line a little longer!" McMann snarled at Peter, Smacking a hand on Peter's right shoulder as he stood back up.

"HMMMMHHGG!" Peter screamed behind the tape. _"Not again! Why do they have to do that? It hurts!"_ Peter thought.

"Watch it!" Hanes said. "That's a fresh bandage!"

"Pfft! A lotta good it'll do him!" McMann commented.

"Enough!" You hear that?" Grey asked.

They all listened as the sound of a chopper could be heard outside.

"Let's move! Get him up!" Grey commanded. "Al... you take hold of the kid's left arm, and keep your gun pointed at his side. Xander... you do the same thing on his right! I'll stay behind him."

Peter groaned loudly as he was pulled to his feet, which were left unbound so that he could walk.

"And kid..." Grey said, getting right in his face and holding up his gun, "... I'm going to have this pointed at your head, so don't get any funny ideas!"

With that, Jackson Grey moved behind him. "Let's head out!" he said, giving Peter a shove.

Peter hated how these guys were all over him. Albert McMann and Xander Hanes were practically carrying him to the back.

Peter's senses were on high alert, and he could feel the hair on his body standing on end. With Jackson Grey's gun poking at the back of his head, Peter was about to face whatever came next. He just hoped Mr. Stark could get him out of this and end the nightmare once and for all.

* * *

"Ned!" May said in annoyance. "I told you... I don't really know what the plan is exactly. Tony is... well... he's taking care of it."

"As Iron Man?" Peter's best friend asked. "Why can't he suit up? He needs to get Peter out of there!"

"No, Ned! He can't... just... stop asking, okay?" May pleaded. "Tony is asking us to trust him, so... God help me... I am trusting him with whatever plan he has to get Peter out of this!"

May and Ned made their way over to where Tony was talking to Agent Samuels and Captain Jenkins.

"You're sure it's a good idea to use one of your helicopters, Stark?" Samuels asked.

Captain Jenkins added, "I can have them turn the other chopper back around. These men may not trust one of your helicopters!"

"Trust me... that other chopper won't have what we need," Tony argued. "They won't have any other choice."

Tony looked at his watch, "I need to get up there. The helicopter should be here soon. Rhodes?" Tony called to his friend. "How's it looking inside?"

Tony had left Rhodes to keep an eye on things in the bank while he made the necessary arrangements. "It's not great, Tony," Rhodes scowled, "But...it looks like they're getting him ready to come out. I just wish I could hear better!"

"It is pretty loud out here," May agreed, eyeing the crowd that was still gathered just beyond the police barricade.

The sound of a helicopter was heard approaching. "Here we go," Tony said. "Agent! You keep your people out of sight! Just follow the plan and these guys will be bringing themselves right to you!"

"You better be right about this, Stark!" Samuels called as Tony made his way to the top of the roof.

As Tony left, the others looked up to see the approaching helicopter.

"Please, God!" May prayed aloud, "Please... let this work!"

* * *

Tony made his way to the roof and watched as one of his own helicopters landed. He tapped the side of his glasses to talk to his trusty AI, "F.R.I.D.A.Y.? How are we doing? Was everything put inside?"

"Yes, sir." F.R.I.D.A.Y. answered. "A bag with $1 million is placed inside, along with a STARKpad and the account information for the transfer."

"Perfect," He said. "Everything else ready?"

"To your exact specifications." F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.

Tony went over and peered inside of the waiting helicopter, powering it down with a button on his phone. He checked that the bag was set where they could see and grabbed the STARKpad for himself. No pilot was necessary, of course.

Next Tony walked over to peer down into the alleyway. He was happy that he could not see any of the FBI agents, knowing that they were watching but staying out of sight. What Tony did see were the three robbers down below. They were half dragging and half carrying Peter over towards the fire escape. It was the type of fire escape that had metal stairs going back and forth up to the top.

Tony watched as Grey shoved Peter a little from behind as Hanes and McMann forced Peter to start going up the steps. Grey followed behind, keeping his gun to Peter's head as he looked around for any possible tricks or traps from the FBI or police.

Tony tried to get a good look at Peter. The kid was drenched in sweat and looked awfully pale. Tony could see that he was once again gagged with his hands secured with an unnecessary amount of tape behind his back. "Damn you!" Tony cursed at the men as they forced Peter up and forward.

He reluctantly pulled himself away from the edge and stepped back closer to the helicopter, waiting for them to appear at the top. He just hoped the police and FBI didn't jump the gun or ruin the plan.

* * *

Peter was beyond miserable. He was so tired... so dizzy... so lightheaded... and once again feeling nauseous. The forced movement was torture and the climb up to the roof was the worst part.

Albert and Xander were practically carrying him, cursing at him to move his feet so that they wouldn't have to do all the work. For a kid, Peter was heavy... a lot of weight and bulk resulting from his lean and muscular form. The only thing that forced Peter to move his feet was the knowledge that Mr. Stark would be there. _"He's going to get me out of this!"_ Peter told himself. _"Aunt May will kill him if he doesn't!"_

"Keep moving!" Grey called from the back.

After what felt like an eternity, they arrived at the rooftop. Peter's head was spinning, but he forced himself to keep his eyes open and look for his mentor. He saw him ahead, standing near the helicopter with a STARKpad in his hands.

The robbers stayed close to Peter, keeping their guns aimed at places that were bound to kill him if the triggers were pulled. The three men surveyed the area in front of them.

"Why the fuck is there one of your helicopters here, Stark?!" Grey yelled. "YOU TRYING TO PULL SOMETHING? HUH?" As he screamed the last questions, Peter could feel the muzzle of the gun being jammed hard into the back of his head.

"TAKE IT EASY, GREY!" Tony called back. "YOU asked for a helicopter, and this..." he used a hand to point at it, "... is the best that you can get. Consider it an upgrade. You don't even need a pilot!"

"I can fly a helicopter just fine!" Grey called back.

"And now you don't have to!" Tony called to him. "Your money is inside and this..." he held up the STARKpad, "...has the account that I set up for you. As soon as you let Peter go, I'll finalize the transfer."

"Albert! Go check inside... make sure the money is there and make sure everything looks alright. We don't want any tricks." Grey instructed.

The group of men stepped closer to the chopper with Peter. Once they were only a few steps away, McMann broke away from the group to check out the helicopter.

While McMann checked the inside, Tony again looked at Peter. "Hey... Pete? You alright, kid?"

Peter slowly lifted his head to look at him, his eyes bleary and looking unfocused.

 _"Shit, kid! What have they done to you?"_ Tony thought, growing even more angry with these criminals who dared to injure the young Avenger in training. "Just hold on a little longer for me, Pete!" Tony encouraged.

With his right hand holding a gun to Peter's head, Grey used his left hand to clap down on the back of Peter's injured shoulder. The man acted as if he was giving Peter a friendly clap on the back saying, "He's holding up just FINE!"

However, the cruel action caused Peter's knees to buckle as he screamed behind the gag. Hanes had to catch him before he could tumble to the ground.

"You better cut that out, ASSHOLE, or you'll have less money going to your new offshore account!" Tony said, his words dripping with anger.

"It's all there!" McMann called, joining his friends. "Everything looks clear."

Grey nodded, "That's good, Stark. I'm sure Peter is grateful that you could follow instructions."

"Whatever, dumbass," Tony snarled, "Now... walk Peter over to me and I'll start the transfer. You give me Peter and I'll give you this notebook with your account information. We all leave happy!"

"Nuh uh!" Grey said. "You transfer the money NOW..." he said, cocking his gun at Peter's head. "...Transfer that money first or he get's another bullet!"

"Woah! HEY!" Tony protested. "How about this?" he asked, subtly moving a finger over the notepad and firing up the chopper. As it powered up he said, "Your ride is ready to go... take it to Mexico... find transportation to the Cayman Islands... I don't care where you go, but you NEED to release Peter. You hurt him and you go no where!"

"I don't like it!" Hanes said.

"Something's fishy, Jackson!" McMann added.

Grey growled in frustration, "You transfer the damn money, or the kid is coming with us!" Slowly, the group began to back up towards the chopper with Peter.

Peter became frantic. The men were taking him towards the helicopter. He looked at Tony in desperation. His eyes pleading, _"Mr. Stark? Don't let them take me! Help! I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go! Sir... PLEASE!"_

"YOU TAKE HIM AND YOU GET NOTHING!" Tony yelled.

"Seriously, Stark? Did you think we would just hand him back? Like you would really let us leave?!" Grey accused, shaking his head. "No... I think Peter will be our little INSURANCE POLICY! He can't overpower us in this condition, so you can have him back once we're across the border. Once we have all of our money, you can have him back then!"

"This wasn't our deal!" Tony called.

"NOPE!" Grey called back. "It's the new one!"

 _"Mr. Stark, please... help me! Why are you letting them take me?!"_ Peter thought, his breathing fast and frantic. The men placed themselves inside the chopper. Hanes and McMann secured Peter between the two of them in the back, while Grey went to the front.

"Mmmmnnphhff!" Peter cried out, desperate for his mentor to hear him and set him free. _"This can't be happening! Mr. Stark! I don't wanna leave with them! Please!"_

"Holy Shit, Baby Boy!" Hanes declared victoriously, "This is going to work!" He put a hand on Peter's thigh, caressing it.

Peter watched in despair as the helicopter lifted off and Tony just watched them as they entered the air. _"I don't understand... why won't he help me?"_ Peter thought, as tears began to slide down his face. Peter realized that Tony didn't have a reason to fight for him. He was so weak and pathetic. He was letting them take him. _"Mr. Stark doesn't want me anymore!"_ This thought caused Peter to sob, making it hard to catch his breath. He was so overwhelmed. _"I didn't even get to say goodbye to Aunt May or my friends!"_

The building below grew further away. Peter could see the bank. He never thought he would be sad to see it go, but this reality was so much worse. He was still being held hostage, and no one was helping him!

"Shh..." Hanes said, rubbing his leg before placing his hand on Peter's lower stomach and just above the waistband of his jeans. "Don't worry... I'll take good care of you."

McMann let out a laugh, "Yeah... he'll take care of you alright. Xander loves taking care of kids like you... LOVES it!" he teased. He leaned over and whispered, "And when he's done, we'll probably be in Mexico. And whether we get the rest of our money or not..." He held up his gun, "... I'm going to take care of you by putting a bullet in your head!"

Peter watched as the city was disappearing from view. He let out more choking sobs from behind the gag, _"This is all my fault... I should have been stronger!"_

Grey laughed, "What a hero you are, Pete! You're going to die nothing but a pathetic loser! You're so broken that Iron Man didn't even care to put up a fight for your sorry ass!"

Peter was so dizzy. He felt like he couldn't even breath. Hanes was feeling him up like a soft pillow. McMann planned to kill him. And Grey was happy to let them do it... all to simply watch him suffer! Peter was ready to give up... let them do whatever they wanted. He had no fight left and he was slipping into the darkness... welcoming the safety of the blackness.

BUT THEN...

 **"The only sorry asses are you and your friends. Welcome aboard, idiots! You walked right into this one!"** Tony's voice filled the inside of the chopper.

The three men were startled, muttering curses. Grey called out, "WHAT THE FU..." but never finished.

3 darts were fired from a compartment that opened up in the front, each one hitting its intended target and rendering him unconscious.

 **"I'm piloting this thing, Pete! I'm bringing you home!"**

Silence

 **"Peter? Can you make a noise for me? You hear me? You're coming home! I'm turning this thing around!"**

More silence.

 **"PETER?! Hang on! Don't you dare die on me! Just hold on!"**

Silence and stillness filled the inside.

 **"PETER!"**

* * *

 **A/N: A day earlier than expected, my friends. What do you think? Tony trapped them on his helicopter, but will Peter survive the trip back down to Tony? If so, will Spider-Man ever be the same?**

 **A/N #2: STARKpad is like an iPad only fancier.**

 **A/N #3: Anyone catch the line by Peter from Infinity War. Sorry... I couldn't resist.**

 **Don't forget to review!**

 **Next chapter could be up by Wednesday... maybe later. Stay tuned!**


	9. The Hero's Journey

**A/N: In case you're wondering... Marvel still owns all the amazing characters.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: The Hero's Journey**

His hearing was the first thing to return.

 _Beep... beep... beep..._

He was floating somewhere in a dreamless sleep, and the sounds from the world outside of sleep were slowly pulling him back to awareness.

 _REPORTER: It was a harrowing day here at Queens National Bank. Many gathered near the scene to see what would become of the young hostage that was held inside by three armed robbers._

A hand was gently brushing through his hair.

 _REPORTER: Police and FBI were at a loss until our local hero, Tony Stark (also known as Iron Man) offered his assistance to the authorities. We now know that the 16-year-old hostage, Peter Parker, has been working with Mr. Stark as his intern for over a year at Stark Industries. Mr. Stark cultivated a positive working relationship with the teenager; therefore, he wished to help out in any way that he could._

A soft, familiar voice was talking to him, offering words of love and encouragement.

 _REPORTER: Mr. Stark first helped authorities by identifying the men inside as Jackson Grey, Albert McMann, and Xander Hanes. These men have been robbing banks and businesses around the country for some time, putting them on the FBI's "Most Wanted" List. When the FBI arrived on scene, Mr. Stark convinced them to follow a daring plan in order to rescue young Parker._

Another voice was there. It was calling to him, asking him to open his eyes. He wasn't ready yet. He just continued to listen.

 _REPORTER: The three men were lured onto a Stark Industries helicopter, where the Iron Man planted a trap for them. In an unconventional move, the criminals were tranquilized on board, and Mr. Stark remotely piloted the chopper to Avenger's Tower where the authorities were waiting for them. Unfortunately, the robbers had intended to prolong Mr. Parker's captivity by taking him along on the helicopter. The positive side to this turn of events was that the doctors on staff at Avenger's Tower could provide immediate medical assistance to Parker upon arrival._

"Peter?" A voice called to him. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

Slowly, he lifted his eyelids... once... then twice... then closed them again.

"That's good, Peter. Try to focus on me." The woman said.

"You can do it, Peter." Another voice called with encouragement while squeezing his hand. He recognized that voice as Aunt May's.

Again, he lifted his eyelids... once... then twice... then focused on the figure leaning over him. The light was just too bright, so he shut his eyes once more.

"It's okay, Peter. Take a moment, and then try once more for me." The voice encouraged.

 _REPORTER: We received word that the young Mr. Parker is doing well. He was shot twice during his captivity, but we are told that he is now in stable condition and responding well to treatment._

He pulled his eyelids open again... once... twice... and now focusing on the woman wearing a doctor's coat.

She smiled at him, "That's good, Peter. Very good. I'm just going to check your pupils."

A light entered his eyes, making him blink.

"You're doing well, Peter. Could you look at me again?" the doctor asked.

He followed the directions, and opened his eyes to look at the doctor. She was a beautiful Asian women with kind eyes.

"My name is Dr. Helen Cho. I work as a geneticist and doctor here in Avenger's Tower. We needed to give you higher doses of antibiotics for..." she was trying to explain things to him, but Peter found himself distracted.

The TV he heard reporting on the bank robbery was on the wall behind Dr. Cho. It was showing videos and pictures of what had happened at the bank. He could even see the footage of his three tormentors being led to police vans by the FBI, each one in handcuffs with chains going down and around their feet.

 _REPORTER: As for Grey, Hanes, and McMann, they are now in the custody of the FBI and will be extradited to Texas where they will be put on trial for the death of a family that was killed in one their very first jobs. Many feel that these men will likely face the death penalty for their crimes._

 _**CLICK**_

The TV was turned off. Aunt May held the remote in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Peter. You did't need to see that," Aunt May said. "You'll never have to see those men again!"

Peter blinked at his aunt before turning his attention back to the doctor.

"Did you hear me, Peter?" Dr. Cho asked. "We used a high dosage of special antibiotics to work with your metabolism. The infection around your first wound is clearing nicely. I suspect your body will be able to heal in at least half the time as anyone else in a similar condition."

Peter didn't speak. He just blinked at her and tried to nod his head to show that he understood.

The doctor furrowed her brows in thought, studying him. She offered him a small smile, "You'll need something to eat. We gave you lots of fluids, but I would like to see if you can eat something. Do you think you might be able to give it a try?"

Peter thought for a moment. He supposed that he was hungry, but he mostly just felt drowsy. He turned his head to look at his aunt.

May smiled at him, noticing how tired and unfocused his eyes were. She raised a hand to his face, brushing some hair off of his forehead. "You're tired," she simply stated. "It's alright, sweetheart. Just rest... we'll wait and get you something to eat when you're feeling more up to it."

Peter focused on his aunt's gentle touch, relishing the feeling of it. It felt like it had been so long since anyone had treated him with such genuine love and tenderness.

He found himself closing his eyes once more. While focusing on his aunt's loving touch, Peter once again found himself pulled into sleep.

Sleep was a welcome pleasure.

He was safe.

* * *

Tony was exhausted. This day had taken more of a toll on him than he could have ever imagined.

He thought he knew what it meant to feel fear. He had felt fear when he was captured in Afghanistan. He had felt fear when the Chitauri invaded New York, and he carried the nuke through the wormhole. But the fear that comes with losing someone unexpectedly... the fear of not being able to say goodbye or letting them know how much you care about them... that fear was overwhelming. He never had the chance to say goodbye to his parents, and he never wanted to experience that again. He didn't even realize that he feared facing that kind of loss with someone else until today, and today had been too close. He feared that he had been too late to save Peter, and he thought perhaps those men had killed his kid after all.

It was such a relief when F.R.I.D.A.Y. detected Peter's heartbeat. It was an even bigger relief that Helen Cho knew how to treat someone with Peter's genetic mutation.

Peter would heal; so, maybe he would have the chance to let the kid know just how much he meant to him.

"You alright, Mr. Stark?" Jenkins asked.

Tony had been so lost in his thoughts that he forgot that the captain was still there.

The captain stayed, wanting to be sure that Hanes, Grey, and McMann were taken care of, and the FBI agents ensured him and Tony that the men would get what they deserved for the crimes they committed. Tony had never been happier to see anyone taken away in chains. Their arrest had been a most welcome sight.

"I'm alright... at least I am now that I know that Peter is getting the medical care he needs," Tony responded.

Jenkins nodded, "Your doctor is most impressive. There probably aren't too many medical professionals with the knowledge on how to properly treat super-humans."

Tony smiled and nodded. He had plenty of things that he could say about the doctor and her qualifications, but his mind was on other things. "You think the public will buy it? You know... about how I'm treating Peter here because he's my intern?" Tony asked.

Jenkins smiled and his eyes held a mischievous twinkle, "You mean... do I think the public will believe that Tony Stark finds his medical team to be superior to any other medical team in the city? Do I think the public will buy into a story about how Tony Stark will only allow the best to treat a kid that is working for him? Is that what you're asking?" Tony didn't miss the playful sarcasm in the older man's voice.

He laughed a little, "I suppose that is what I'm asking... yes."

"They've already bought that story, and they see you as even more of a hero because of it. You're Iron Man, Tony. There aren't too many people in New York City who wish to question your actions," Jenkins explained.

"So...it's just as I always suspected. They love me!" Tony said, playing up his grandiose personality for a moment before sobering. "I guess that's good in this case." Tony commented. "I should thank you, captain. You helped us to keep Peter's greatest secret. I know the kid will appreciate it, too. He'll most likely want to thank you in person as soon as he's feeling up to it."

Jenkins shrugged, "I'm happy that I could help. I meant what I said earlier... If it hadn't been for you, my son would have been killed on the day of that alien attack. Keeping this secret is the least I can do. Thanks to you, I have a grandson!"

Tony smiled a little, but before he could say anything clever in response, Jenkins asked, "You know what my son named him?"

Tony shook his head.

"My son named him Anthony David Jenkins. Anthony for the man who saved his life and David... well, that's my son's first name," the captain explained.

Tony would be lying if he said he wasn't honored. But Tony was still Tony, so he answered by saying, "Excellent choice. So much better than a name like Thor, or Clint, or Bruce, or... worst of all... STEVE! Don't ever name a kid Steve!"

Jenkins gave Tony a look, "Did I mention that my first name is Steve?"

Tony's eyes went wide, "No kidding! Really? Well... as long as it's not in honor of that other captain who once dared to call himself my friend!"

Steve Jenkins shook his head a little and smiled, "What can I say? My father was one of his biggest fans! He had quite the collection of Captain America memorabilia, too!"

"Now I know you're kidding!" Tony accused.

"No... I'm quite serious!" Jenkins said, not at all offended. The man had clearly expected this reaction from Tony. Most people knew that Iron Man and Captain America had a falling out after the situation with the Accords. While Jenkins had plenty of questions about what really happened between the two men, he figured those questions could be saved for another day.

"Well... I'm glad your son had the good sense to choose the name of a REAL hero!" Tony teased. "I'll bet Iron Man is the kid's favorite hero, too. Right?"

"David is a huge fan of yours, Tony," Jenkins responded. "My grandson, however, has his eyes on another hero."

"Who?" Tony asked, worried the poor kid would have taste as poor as his great grandfather.

Jenkins laughed a little, "Spider-Man, of course!"

Tony's face lit up, "Now that is an EXCELLENT choice!"

The two men continued to walk in a companionable silence, heading towards Peter's room. Captain Jenkins had wanted to see how Peter was doing. He needed to get a formal statement from Peter, but he would hold off on that until the kid was feeling better.

Dr. Cho exited the room just as the two men approached.

"Doctor!" Tony called to her, "How's our patient doing?"

Helen shrugged her shoulders a little, "His vitals look good, and he seems to be responding well to the antibiotics that I'm giving him. I was hoping that he might be awake long enough to eat something. A fast metabolism like his will need nourishment in order to recover, but it seems that his need for rest is winning at the moment."

"He was awake?" Tony asked, looking over to Jenkins and then back to Helen.

"Not for very long," the doctor explained. "May is still sitting with him if you'd like to join her."

"Did he say anything while he was awake?" Jenkins asked.

"I'm afraid not," Helen answered. "He was still quite drowsy. Between the gunshot wounds and other bruising, the damage to his body was considerable."

"Thank you, Doctor Cho," Tony said. "I appreciate the update." He looked at Jenkins, "Would you still like to see him?"

"If you don't mind, I would like to see that he's doing alright. It would be nice to see him resting peacefully," Jenkins remarked.

Tony nodded and pushed the door open, gesturing for the other man to enter first.

May had her chair pulled up to the head of the bed on Peter's left side. She was leaning forward and gently running her fingers through his hair.

May smiled at the men as they entered, "He hasn't let me do this in years. I used to help him fall asleep by running my fingers through his hair when he was younger." Her smile faded a little as she took in her nephew's appearance, "Now... he only let's me do this when..." she brushed a tear from her eye and cleared her throat, "...when he isn't feeling well."

Tony was quiet, but stepped closer to look at Peter's vitals. It was as if he needed to see for himself that Peter's vital signs were good.

Jenkins was the first of the two men to speak, "Well... he seems to have more color in his face then when I last saw him. That's a good sign.

The doctor nodded.

"From personal experience," Tony commented, "The physical wounds aren't the only things that will need to heal."

"It seemed unlike him to be so quiet when he was awake," May added. "Even when he's tired... Peter always has something to say."

Doctor Cho looked at Tony, "You might be the only person who can help him with that area of healing, Tony."

He nodded, "yeah... I think I have a few ideas."

Captain Steve Jenkins listened quietly, not knowing what to say to help matters. Finally, he said, "I don't want to get in the way here. How about I check in tomorrow and see if he's ready to give a statement?"

Tony and May looked to the doctor, who nodded an affirmation. "He should be feeling up to giving you what you need by tomorrow, Captain," she confirmed.

He nodded, and looked at Tony and May. Both looked content as they watched over Peter, so he said, "I'll see myself out. I'm glad we could get Peter back to you." He thought a moment, "I should also check and make sure that my men made out okay with Mr. Jones' family," he said, referring to the deceased bank security guard.

Again, Tony and May nodded. May called to him as he began to step out of the room, "Thank you, Captain Jenkins. For... everything!"

The police captain smiled at her, "It was my pleasure, Mrs. Parker." He looked at Tony, "I'll reach out to you tomorrow."

"I won't put you on hold," Tony remarked.

Before Jenkins could comment, Helen Cho said, "I'll point you in the right direction, Captain Jenkins."

With that, the doctor and police captain left May and Tony alone with Peter's sleeping form.

Tony listened to Peter's steady breathing, pleased with how healthy and strong it sounded.

May seemed comfortable with resting in her chair next to Peter's bed, so Tony sat on another bed that was in the room.

Neither May nor Tony felt the need to talk. They were both content to observe Peter as he slept. They needed to see him comfortable and safe if they were going to be able to get any rest of their own.

May placed her head on the bed by Peter's side, and Tony found himself leaning back on the bed.

Neither one had intended on falling asleep. They had merely intended to rest their eyes.

However, both adults found themselves pulled into a peaceful sleep knowing that Peter was safe with them once again.

* * *

Someone was snoring lightly.

Or was it more than one person snoring?

For a brief moment, Peter felt a sense of panic as he starting coming to awareness. _"Is it THEM? Did they take me with them after all? Where am I?"_

Slowly, Peter pulled his eyes open, blinking a few times and allowing his eyes to adjust. When he was finally able to take in his surroundings, he was relieved. _"Oh... right... I remember this place. I think I'm in the tower. There was a doctor and..."_ Peter turned his head towards the sound of the closest snore. _"... and Aunt May. I should have recognized that snore,"_ he thought with a small smile. Then Peter tried to focus on the other source of soft snoring. Beyond his aunt and sleeping in a position that looked not at all comfortable was Tony Stark. _"Mr. Stark? Why is he in here? Did he get hurt?"_ Peter raised up his head trying to get a better look at his sleeping mentor. The room was dark with only a little light coming in through the window, indicating that dawn was approaching.

He hadn't intended to wake anyone, but his aunt sensed his movement and sat up suddenly, "What? Huh?" She gazed at Peter, eyes still clouded with sleep, "Peter... sweetheart... are you alright? Are you in pain?"

Peter settled back down on his pillow and closed his eyes, feeling annoyed with himself for waking her. If she was awake, it wouldn't be long before...

"What's happening? Kid... you need me to get Doctor Cho?" Tony's voice asked, sounding a little frantic and concerned.

"Mm... f-fine" Peter croaked out. He opened his eyes and looked at the two disheveled adults staring down at him. Both looked tired, but their concern for him would likely keep them from falling back to sleep any time soon. He couldn't understand how he kept messing things up. They didn't deserve to have their time wasted worrying over him. Peter let out a sigh and turned his head away from them.

"Peter?" May tried again. "Honey... please... you need to tell us what you need. Are you in any pain?"

Peter kept his head turned away and didn't answer.

Tony noticed how Peter stared at the wall, keeping his head turned away. He also noticed the way Peter was making fists with his hands. Tony knew Peter was fighting an internal battle with himself.

"Pete," Tony said, using an authoritative Iron Man voice. "Do you know where you are right now?" He wanted to make sure Peter didn't let his thoughts and memories take him back inside that bank.

Peter furrowed his brows, looking confused. "Yeah... I think so," he answered. He slowly turned his head in Tony's direction. "The tower... I think... um... I think I remember hearing something..." he paused and took a breath, feeling a little dizzy. "There was something about... Avenger's tower?" Peter looked at Tony, waiting for the other man to confirm if he was remembering things clearly.

Tony nodded, "Good. That's good, kid. You're at Avenger's Tower. Doctor Cho and the medical team here are taking good care of you."

Peter blinked at Tony and nodded a little, choosing not to say anything further.

May squeezed his left hand, "Peter?"

He lifted his eyes to look at her.

"Do you remember what happened?" May asked.

Tony studied him carefully after May asked the question. He noticed the way Peter clenched his jaw and swallowed hard. He noticed the way Peter's eyes widened a little. He didn't miss the haunted, far away look that crossed his features as he nodded to his aunt in confirmation.

Peter was quiet for another moment. He swallowed past a lump in his throat before answering, "It hurts, May."

Some part of Tony wondered what was hurting more... the gunshot wounds or the memories.

"Oh, Peter!" May said, giving his hand another squeeze. "You rest a little more and take it easy. I'll see if I can't find a nurse or someone who can get something for the pain."

As she got up, Peter asked, "Wh-what time is it?"

It was F.R.I.D.A.Y. that offered an automated response, "It is currently 5:02 AM."

Peter looked worried, "I... um... I didn't mean to wake you. I'll be... ugh... f-fine."

Neither May nor Tony missed the wince of pain that crossed Peter's face as he spoke.

"It's no bother, Peter. Why do you think we're here?" She bent down and gently kissed his forehead. "Don't worry so much, okay? I'm going to find a nurse, and I'm sure Tony has someone around here who can bring some coffee for us."

Peter smiled a little, knowing his aunt was probably right.

"Uh... tell whoever is on duty that they should probably get the kid something to eat, too" He gave May a look. "They should take _time_ to be sure that they're getting him just what he needs."

She nodded, knowing that he wanted a little time to talk to Peter alone.

Peter hadn't really paid attention. His mind was elsewhere, going back to the source of his pain. The source of his humiliation. How in the hell was he supposed to be Spider-Man after this?!

Tony slowly sat down in the chair that had been vacated by May. "Earth to Parker," Tony tried. "Come in, Spider-Man. Do you read me?"

Peter scoffed a little, "Spider-Man's not in the building right now." He answered, but he never lifted his eyes to look at his mentor.

"Then who the hell am I looking at? Please don't tell me we rescued the wrong guy!" Tony playfully joked, hoping to spark something in Peter and find a little of the kid's sense of humor.

Peter finally looked at Tony, his face full of disgust and annoyance, "Rescue?"

Tony gulped fearfully. _"Shit! I made him mad! I should have gotten him out of there sooner! He's mad at me."_

Peter seemed to notice the fearful look on Tony's face and softened his expression, shaking his head a little. Peter shuffled a little before speaking again, trying to find a comfortable position but coming up short. He let out another frustrated breath, "Spider-Man shouldn't have needed a rescue, Mr. Stark! I never should have let this happen!"

Tony blinked at Peter, "Oh, right! sure... you _let_ this happen."

Peter didn't miss the fact that the other man was being facetious. "I'm serious!" Peter said, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "I have never felt more pathetic in my life! What kind of hero can't defend himself against bank robbers?! What kind of hero let's a bunch of assholes keep him captive?"

Tony watched as the tears in Peter's eyes spilled down his cheeks. He leaned forward and put his hand on Peter's, giving it a squeeze. "Do you think I'm a hero, Peter?"

This caught Peter by surprise, "Well... of course! You're Iron Man!"

"What about Barton? Is he a hero?"

Peter continued to look confused, "Hawkeye never misses a shot. He's a hero, too!"

"And Romanoff... is she a hero to you?" Tony questioned.

"Of course! Yes! They're all heroes! So much more than I am!" Peter argued.

But Tony persisted. "What about Thor? Do you think he is a hero?"

"Why are you doing this?" Peter demanded, tears still falling down his face. "YES! You're all better than me! I get it! I'm NOT FIT to be an Avenger!" Peter let out a broken sob, embarrassed to break in front of his mentor.

Tony let Peter settle a bit before speaking. "That's an odd thing to say," he said.

"Wh-what?!" Peter asked.

"It's just... you made it sound like getting captured or put in harm's way isn't something that happens to a hero," Tony continued.

"EXACTLY!" Peter said.

"That doesn't make sense," Tony said again. "You claimed the rest of us were heroes, but I was captured in Afghanistan. Barton was controlled into forced service by Loki, Natasha was captured by Ultron..." He looked at Peter to see if the young man was listening.

Peter was listening, and he was beginning to realize the point that the older man was trying to make, "And Thor?" he asked.

"Did you know that Point Break got hit by a car and then sedated in the hospital afterwards?! What kind of hero gets hit by a car and sedated with a needle to the ass?!" Tony asked, his voice full of humor.

Peter couldn't help but to smile. "Oh..."

"Oh?" Tony asked. "Is that all you have to say? Oh?" Tony patted Peter's hand reassuringly, "Don't be so hard on yourself, kid. You're not the only hero to get knocked down."

Peter looked at him, wiping away some tears. "You still think I'm a hero?" he asked.

"Duh!" Tony answered. "I had eyes inside that bank, Pete. You did what you had to do. You even took one hell of a chance trying to fight back. That took serious guts, kid! I could tell you were hurting, and you still broke free and managed to break Grey's nose like it was nothing!"

Peter shook his head, "That wasn't exactly my finest moment." Peter looked down towards his injured leg. "It didn't really end well. Plus... you said it yourself... you saw what they were doing! You saw how they..." Peter swallowed.

"What?" Tony asked. "It helps to talk about it, kid. And I know what it's like to feel trapped and vulnerable. Trust me... I've been there. More than once, actually."

Peter let out another choked sob, "But you don't! You don't know what he... what he..." Peter closed his eyes, "They teased me and they tormented me, Mr. Stark. They... touched me in ways that made me really uncomfortable... and they just laughed about it!"

Tony swallowed past a lump in his throat. "God, Peter. I'm so sorry! I know... I know that Hanes has a reputation, and... I know that he was... trying to make you uncomfortable. I'm so sorry, kid."

More tears spilled down Peter's face, "It was almost worse than getting shot. He treated me like a play thing! He made it sound like... like he wanted..." Peter couldn't even finish that thought. "Why would he do that, Mr. Stark?"

Tony sighed, now fighting tears of his own. "Evil comes in many forms, Spider-Man. The enemy will do anything to feel powerful. They use all sorts of tactics to make us feel powerless."

Peter took some steadying breaths before continuing, "Did the enemy ever make you feel powerless?"

Tony let out a humorless laugh, "Absolutely. They did it in the last 24 hours."

Peter looked confused. "What? How?"

Tony swallowed and reached a hand up to wipe away a tear that managed to escape from his own eyes. When he removed the tear, he looked at Peter, wanting to be sure they were looking one another in the eye. He answered, "When they threatened to hurt someone I cared about. That... that, Peter, is just another way that the enemy seeks to make us feel powerless. They look for that weak spot, kid."

Peter looked thoughtful and uncertain of how to respond. "I didn't mean... well... I'm sorry, Mr. Stark."

"For what, kid? Being so damn lovable?" Tony asked.

Peter looked a little surprised. "No... I mean... I don't want to be a weakness."

"Stop! No... that's not the point at all!" Tony scrubbed a hand over his face. "Is your aunt a weakness to you, kid?"

"What?! Of course not!" Peter thought a moment. "I mean... I love Aunt May, and I would never want anyone to hurt her, but she's not a weakness... she's just someone I'll protect no matter what!"

"Exactly, kid," Tony said. "When the people we care about are threatened, it makes us feel powerless... makes us feel helpless. We go weak in the knees with worry because we never want our loved ones to be harmed. But they're not a weakness, kid. The people we love are our strength! It's what separates us from the enemy! We're not like them because we care about other people more than we care about ourselves! Do you understand?"

Peter studied Tony carefully, "I think so... but..."

"What?" Tony asked, trying to encourage Peter to continue.

"Are you saying... um..." Peter fumbled over his words, "... that you care about... me?"

"Kid, you have the biggest heart of anyone I know! I care about you a lot, Pete. I'd do anything to keep you safe. Somewhere along the way, kid... you became family," Tony said honestly.

"Wow..." Peter said, feeling so many emotions. It was like he was on a crazy roller coaster ride on the emotion express. "Thank you, Mr. Stark."

Tony just smiled.

"So... you think that I still have what it takes to be a hero? Even when morons like that could get the better of me?" Peter asked, finally sounding hopeful.

"Thor was hit by a fucking car, kid! They still call him the God of Thunder despite that embarrassment!" Tony joked.

Peter finally smiled. "So I'm not too weak to be an Avenger some day?"

"Having a weakness and being vulnerable doesn't mean you're weak, Peter. It just means you're human. You will be a vital member of the Avengers someday." Tony smiled, "You'll be the heart of the team, kid." His smile widened, "I'm already the brain, so you can be the heart."

Peter laughed at that a little.

"Facing a challenge and being knocked down a little is all part of the hero's journey, kid. These are the things that make us stronger," Tony said.

Peter nodded.

He added, "You just have to promise to talk to someone, okay? Don't hold in what you're feeling. Trust me... PTSD is real! You need to let people in, okay?"

Peter nodded again as May came to the door with a nurse.

She knocked on the door frame, "Is anyone hungry? This kind nurse has some soup and crackers if the patient is feeling up to it." She stepped into the room, noticing how the two men were trying to hide the fact that some tears were shed. She continued, "Peter, it would be good for you to eat a little something, and then Nurse Brenda said you could try to take some pain medication that Dr. Cho left for you."

Tony stood up from the chair and offered it to May. She moved over and sat down next to Peter. She noticed how her nephew seemed to have a little more life and hope in his eyes when he looked at her.

"Yeah, Aunt May," Peter said. "That sounds good."

She grasped Peter's hand as the nurse slid a table over and adjusted Peter into a seated position on the bed in order to eat something.

"I'm sure you two would like to catch up a little before Pete needs more rest," Tony said, moving towards the door. "How about I grab some breakfast for you, May?"

She nodded, "That would be nice." She looked at him, "Thank you, Tony. For everything."

He smiled, knowing she was thanking him for more than the offer of breakfast. "Anytime."

And he meant it. He would be there for the kid anytime there was trouble. Yes... somewhere along the way Peter Parker found a place in Tony's iron heart. He definitely had a weak spot for this kid, but that was perhaps his greatest strength. Pepper was right... Tony Stark had a heart after all.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay with the chapter. It's been a busy semester. The Epilogue will be next.**

 **Please don't forget to share your thoughts and leave a review.**


	10. Epilogue

**A/N: Marvel owns all of the recognizable characters, but the rest are mine. Any similarities to real people is just a strange coincidence.**

* * *

* _2 WEEKS LATER*_

Captain Jenkins never thought he would be getting a personal tour of Avenger's Tower from Iron Man himself. After returning a couple weeks ago to get Peter's statement, a grateful Tony Stark invited Jenkins back to the tower for a personal tour. Stark only had one condition: to bring his son and grandson along with him.

"And if you'll follow me to the _private_ elevator," a proud Iron Man/Tony Stark/Tour Guide called to his guests, "We'll make our way to the training area."

Steve Jenkins glanced over at his son, David. The man looked like a little boy again, and his smile mirrored that of his 5-year old son, Anthony. Anthony was clutching his father's hand with a big smile and wide eyes. Neither of his boys could believe that they were actually in Avenger's Tower.

"Pappy!" little Anthony called quietly to his grandfather, "You hea-ya what I-yon Man said? Maybe Spid-ah Man will be twaining!"

Jenkins smiled at his grandson. The little boy's struggle with the letter "r" was too cute. It almost made him sad to think that he would be seeing a speech therapist to correct the issue. His own son grew up so quickly, and he wished his grandson could stay young and keep his adorable speech impediment.

"It's a possibility, mini Tony," Stark called to the boy as they piled into the elevator.

Jenkins shook his head a little at the nickname given to his grandson and looked at David. David didn't seem to mind. He was too excited to be in the presence of his own favorite hero.

Iron Man seemed to notice because he looked at David as the doors closed and said, "If he's still down there, I may just need to suit up and show him how it's done!"

David was speechless. The man had gone silent the moment they stepped into Stark's presence, so he just smiled and beamed as Tony suggested that he might suit up himself.

Jenkins couldn't help but to poke fun at his son a little, "Use your words, David. You're embarrassing me in front of the Avenger."

Anthony giggled at the sheepish look on his father's face. Finally David spoke up, "Ahem... Yes. This is... well, sir... This is a bit of a dream come true. You see... I was on the streets of New York during the attack of the Chitauri. I know the whole team worked together that day, but you personally took down some of the aliens that would have... well... most likely they would have killed me. Then, of course, what you did with that nuke! If not for you, I never would have had the chance to propose to my girl, get married, and bring this little man into the world!"

The elevator stopped and they all stepped out as the doors opened. Tony smiled back at David, "That day was full of surprises! I'm just happy to hear _you_ have such good taste in heroes! Your son, too!" As Tony said this, he shot a look at Steve Jenkins.

The older man understood the jab, "Hey! Steve Rogers saved a lot of people and made smart decisions that day, too!" His tone was light, and the teasing was all in good fun.

Tony smirked, but Jenkins could see a sad look in his eyes. "That day... yes. During the Battle of New York, Cap did make some smart decisions. It's the decisions after that that are the problem."

There was a little tension, but it was quickly broken by young Anthony, "But Spidah-Man is always smawt, wight mistah Iyon Man?"

Tony smiled, "Spider-Man might just be one of the smartest heroes I know, kiddo! Other than myself, of course" Tony gestured the men forward. "Come on, let's go see what's happening in the training area. It's right this way."

Again, David looked just as young as his son as they followed Tony down the hallway. If Jenkins had to guess, he thought the training space seemed to be a sub-level that could only be accessed by the Avengers themselves. He couldn't help but to feel like a kid himself at the thought of standing where other Avengers once stood.

Finally, they entered through a large door that opened up into a massive space. Inside, War Machine and Spider-Man were practicing. Holograms were being used to simulate enemies and battle situations, and the two heroes worked together as they trained.

"Wow!" Anthony whispered quietly as he caught sight of his favorite hero. He was standing in between his father and grandfather now, but he reached up and tugged on his grandfather's sleeve. "Pappy! Pappy! Look... do you see him? Do you see what Spidah-Man is doing? He's climbing the wall! Isn't he amazing?"

 _"He sure is,"_ Jenkins thought. He found his mouth hanging open as he watched the hero he knew to be a very young man by the name of Peter Parker. The thing that amazed the police captain the most was the ease with which Spider-Man used. He knew Peter had been in a great deal of pain 2 weeks ago. His aunt was taking him to physical therapy in a wheel chair, and he was confused to see the hero moving without any sluggish movements or signs of pain.

"Pappy?" Anthony questioned when his grandfather didn't answer.

Jenkins finally looked down at his grandson, "Yes, my boy! Spider-Man sure is something else."

Anthony smiled, pleased with his grandfather's observation of his hero.

"War Machine really knows how to use that suit," David commented, clearly baiting Tony and hoping to see the other man suit up.

Tony didn't really need the bait. He lived for these moments... the ones that gave him the opportunity to show off a little. "True... but watch this." With that Tony lowered the zipper on the jacket he was wearing and tapped the glowing unit on his chest.

The three others stepped back towards the wall and watched in fascination as the Iron Man suit quickly formed around Tony from tiny little pieces that came from the chest plate. "You like it?" Tony called from within the helmet. "It's my new nano-tech."

"This is the best day ever," David muttered out as they all watched the Iron Man go off to join his friends.

Steve Jenkins had no idea how much time passed as they watched the three heroes maneuver around the training area and interacting with the holograms. Occasionally, the heroes would take a few shots at one another, but it was all in good fun.

Little Anthony laughed and cheered when Spider-Man tangled up both War Machine and Iron Man in his webs at one point.

Captain Jenkins smiled, finding it hard to believe that a promise to help a young man keep his secret identity could bring his family so much joy.

Finally, the heroes ended their session and made their way towards the Jenkins men.

"I wish Mommy and Gwammy could be hee-yah to see this!" Anthony said quietly. The women had opted to go shopping, saying that they thought the day would be a good bonding experience for the men in the family. It was rare for them to get time like this, so they were willing to pass on today's experience.

Tony and Rhodes removed their helmets as the group stepped up to their admirers. "So..." Tony spoke, "What did you think?"

"That was epic!" David said excitedly, "What did you think, Anthony?"

Jenkins looked over at his grandson, waiting to hear him answer his father's question. However, no answer came. The little boy just stood there staring in the direction of Spider-Man with his mouth agape and eyes as big as saucers.

David and Steve Jenkins laughed a little at the excitement on Anthony's face.

It was Spider-Man who acted next. "Hey, little man!" Peter stepped forward with his mask still in place. He knelt down so that he was eye level with Anthony and held out his hand, "You must be the Anthony Jenkins I heard so much about. It's nice to meet you!"

Anthony blinked at Spider-Man's extended hand in fascination. He just continued to stare, seeming to be frozen in place.

David giggled at his son, "Go on... you can shake his hand, bud!"

When the little boy remained frozen, Pappy Jenkins gently snatched the little boy's hand and placed it into Spider-Man's waiting palm.

Gently, Peter grasped the hand and gave it a shake, "That's a strong grip you have there! Are you enjoying your visit today?"

Once his Pappy had connected his hand with Spider-Man's own, little Anthony held on tight. Now, he didn't want to let his hero go, so he continued to grasp the hand as he studied his hero's suit.

"Uh-huh" the little boy finally responded. "This is the best day evah!" He studied the hero some more. "Um... Spidah-Man... how come you don't take off you-wa mask like Iyon Man and Wah Machine? Do you look like a weal spidah?" Anthony's eyes were still wide with excitement and fascination.

All three heroes laughed a little at the innocent question. Peter responded, "No, little man. I actually look just like anyone else. I keep my mask on because... uh..."

"He's still in training," Iron Man jumped in.

"That's right," Rhodes confirmed. "When Spider-Man is inducted as a member of the team, then he can reveal his identity."

"Maybe..." Peter added. "You see, Anthony. Not all heroes go around announcing their hero-status like Iron Man over there! Heroes have enemies, and I'd rather that those enemies don't know who I am just yet."

The little boy nodded, still holding onto Peter's hand. "Yeah... that makes sense, mistah Spidah-Man! It's a weally cool mask, too. If I had it, I would wea-ya it all the time!"

Peter laughed a little, "Thanks. Say... uh... I'm going to need my hand back though, okay?"

The little boy quickly dropped Peter's hand, and his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, "Sowwy, mistah Spidah-Man!" Anthony turned and hugged his father's leg, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"No harm done, little buddy!" Peter said. "It's just that I'm going to need it if you want to swing around with me a little." He quickly glanced up at the boy's father and grandfather. "That is... if it's okay with your family?"

David looked at his father. "It's up to you, son," Jenkins said, "I trust Spider-Man to be careful, but it's your call."

David smiled widely, "Of course! Just... not too high!"

"WEALLY?" Anthony squealed. "This is awesome!"

With that, Peter held out his hand to the boy. This time, he didn't even hesitate. He grabbed the hero's hand and followed him out into the training area.

The other men watched as Spider-Man carefully picked up the little boy with his left arm and extended his right arm to shoot a web.

As they lifted into the air, they could all hear an excited "Wee!" from little Anthony.

Jenkins leaned over towards Tony, "Can he manage the extra weight with that arm?" he asked quietly.

He hadn't meant for his son to hear, but he did, "He's Spider-Man, Dad! Why wouldn't he be able to carry a little boy like Anthony?"

Tony and Rhodes shot a look at the police captain.

"Well..." the man shrugged in response to his son, "I guess it's because I'm his grandpa. I'm allowed to worry about him a little, aren't I?"

David shrugged back, focusing more on the hero swinging his son around carefully while holding onto a web, "Sure, Dad. But it's like you said in the first place... Spider-Man will be careful."

"True." Jenkins confirmed, and the subject was dropped.

Peter swung the little boy back so that they landed right in front of the group.

"WOW! DID YOU SEE THAT, DADDY? DID YOU SEE ME?" Anthony called to his father.

"That looked like fun, bud!" his father confirmed.

"PAPPY! WHAT DID YOU THINK?" the boy asked his grandfather.

"It looked like you were in good hands," Jenkins smiled at him.

Anthony looked more excited than a kid at Disney Land. He looked back at Spider-Man, "Can we do it again? Please?"

Peter held up his hands, knowing that the little boy could probably swing around all day. "Sorry, pal. Spider-Man will have to get back to training soon. I'm glad you enjoyed it, though."

"I did! Thank you, Spidah-Man!" With that, the little boy jumped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Peter's waist.

"Woah! You're very welcome!" Peter replied.

After a moment, the little boy let go of his hero and stepped back to join his father. David looked back up at Tony and Rhodes.

Tony couldn't help but respond by saying, "Don't look at us! We leave the kiddie rides to the trainees!"

David flushed a little at the suggestion, "Oh... no, sir! That's not what I was thinking!"

Jenkins laughed a little at the look on his son's face.

Rhodes jumped in, "Don't listen to Tony! He's just messing with you!"

David coughed a little and then smiled, seeming now to be amused that his own hero was playfully teasing him. "I was actually wondering where we go from here?" he asked.

"This actually concludes our tour for the day, but I'll walk you back to the exit. My head of security, Happy, actually has some parting gifts waiting for you upstairs," Tony said.

The Jenkins men smiled and nodded. Tony housed his suit back to the unit in his chest and gestured for the men to go ahead.

Anthony tugged on his father's sleeve, "Daddy... DADDY! Wait!"

"Come on, bud," David replied, assuming his son was about to beg him to stay. "It's time to head back up. We can see what Mr. Stark has for us upstairs.

"No... Daddy..." the boy said, whining a little.

"Anthony!" David began to scold, but stopped when he noticed his son gesturing for him to lower his head so that he could whisper in his ear. David knelt down and lowered his head to his son.

"Daddy..." Anthony whispered, carefully trying not to let the heroes hear him. "... I have to pee."

The others, however, did hear and smiled a little.

"Oh!" David said. "Mr. Stark, is there a restroom we can use before heading upstairs?"

Rhodes was the one to answer, "It's not too easy to get to from here. I'll show you where it is if you'd like to follow me."

"Thank you," David said, guiding his son along as they followed Rhodes out the door.

Tony, Peter, and Jenkins watched as they exited the room.

As the door closed behind them, Jenkins turned towards Spider-Man. "Alright... off with it! I need to see that it's really you under that mask, kid!"

Tony and Peter laughed a little, but Peter complied and carefully removed his mask. He smiled at the police captain, "There... happy with what you see?"

Jenkins studied the young man's face. His color was normal, and his eyes sparkled with life and youthful joy. Jenkins nodded, "Very happy, young man. You look well. I can hardly believe how easily you were moving out there! How is that even possible?"

Peter smiled and shrugged, "I'm a fast healer. I still use crutches to keep up appearances around my friends, though."

Jenkins shook his head in amazement, "Really? So you're completely healed?"

Before Peter could answer, Tony chimed in, "Well... almost. I'm cutting him off for today." As Peter looked about to protest, he continued, "You gonna tell me you aren't at least a little sore?"

This stopped Peter and made him think, "Well... maybe a little. But it's a lot better!"

"Uh huh... that's what I thought," Tony responded. "If you want Dr. Cho to clear you to be back out there next week, then you better take it easy."

"I know," Peter confirmed, looking a little sad. He looked up at the police captain, "Did you hear anything else about... you know who?"

Jenkins knew that Peter meant if he had heard an update from the FBI about the 3 men who held him hostage. "Not too much. I know Agent Samuels said they'd be transferred to a high security prison somewhere in Texas, where they'll be going on trial."

"I know that..." Peter said, "... I mean... did Samuels say anything about whether or not they revealed me to be Spider-Man?"

Jenkins looked at Tony. Both men had this conversation shortly after he took Peter's statement. Tony nodded at the man, giving him the sign to let Peter know. "Well... Agent Samuels did say something to me about how they wanted to make a deal. They wanted to escape a harsh sentence and tried to offer up the identity of Spider-Man."

"WHAT?!" Peter cried out. He looked at Tony, "You knew about this? Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Take it easy, kid!" Tony replied. "You were healing, and I didn't want to upset you. Plus... you don't have to worry. I took care of it."

"What? How?" Peter asked.

Jenkins answered, "Mr. Stark had some of his lawyers get involved with their lawyers. And there was something else happening with government people affiliated with the Avengers, but basically those guys don't stand a chance. No one is listening to their claims about having information about Spider-Man."

"And I may have had a psychologist enter some information into their files about being delusional... an unfortunate side effect of that sedative I used to knock them out on the chopper. Don't worry, kid. No one is going to believe those moronic criminals if they claim that the kid they held hostage was Spider-Man!" Tony assured him.

Peter looked uncertain, and he found himself covering his face once again in his mask. It was like some desperate attempt to once again shield his identity.

Jenkins stepped forward and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder, "You have good people looking out for you, son. You don't have to worry about those men anymore. You just focus on getting yourself back out there. The police need their Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man!"

Peter nodded, and the eyes of his mask adjusted in such a way that Jenkins thought he might be smiling a little. "Yes, sir! I'm going to be back out there as soon as I can. No one will get the better of me ever again!"

Jenkins gave him a sad smile in return and looked at Tony. Both men held a silent conversation with their eyes. Both knew that there would be no guarantee that the enemy wouldn't strike him down again. Jenkins knew that the good guys often took hard hits, but he decided that wasn't what Peter needed to hear right now.

"I'm just very glad to see you doing so well, Peter," Jenkins said. "Just keep focusing on that."

The door to the room opened again, and Rhodes led David and Anthony back inside.

"Pappy! You should have seen it! That bathwoom had a stall big enough fowa the Hulk!" Anthony cried out in excitement.

Steve Jenkins lifted his eyes to Tony in surprise. Tony shrugged, "It seemed like a good idea to be prepared."

Jenkins turned to his son and the two men shook their head in amusement.

"Shall we head back upstairs?" Tony suggested. "Happy gets antsy, and I get annoyed with him when he's antsy."

As they prepared to head back towards the elevator, little Anthony turned and ran back to Peter. He once again secured his hero in a tight hug, "Thanks again, Spidah-Man. When I am biggah, I want to be bwave just like you!"

Peter squeezed the little boy back gently, "Thanks, pal. That means a lot. You be good for your grandpa and dad, okay? And take good care of them!"

The boy nodded, "Okay."

With that, the boy turned and walked over to stand in between the older Jenkins men. Each man snatched one of the boy's hands and they followed Iron Man back the way they came.

Rhodes and Peter watched them leave. After the door to the training room closed, Rhodes wrapped an arm around Peter, "Come on, _Spidah-Man,_ " he teased, repeating the way little Anthony referred to his hero. "Let's get changed and grab a bite to eat, huh?"

Peter laughed, "Yeah, _Wah Machine_ ," he teased back. "That sounds good."

As Peter followed Rhodes out of the training room, he couldn't help but wish that he had walked upstairs with Tony to say goodbye. Spider-Man rarely came to the tower since he wasn't officially an Avenger. So, Tony cautioned him about frequenting the upstairs where others could see him. Tony often worried that Ross might push for Spider-Man to sign the Accords, which would also likely lead to Peter's identity being known once and for all. So, Peter agreed to keep Spider-Man in the lower levels.

He considered changing quickly and heading upstairs with his crutches as Peter Parker the intern, but he decided it might not be the best idea. There would be too many questions.

Instead he just smiled as he imagined the Jenkins men receiving their gifts. Tony had organized 3 gift baskets. Anthony was getting a gift basket of Spider-Man toys and memorabilia signed by Spider-Man. There was even a replica of his mask, which he knew the little boy would enjoy. David was getting memorabilia signed by Iron Man/Tony Stark, and the captain was getting a gift basket of Captain America memorabilia. The last basket had surprised Peter, but apparently Tony was willing to put his feelings aside. Although, he was pretty sure Mr. Stark put a card in the basket apologizing for not offering him something more valuable. Leave it to Mr. Stark to find some way to be snarky.

Overall, this day had been exactly what Peter needed. He enjoyed his interaction with Anthony and his family. Captain Jenkins proved to be a trusted ally as well, and Peter felt confident that the man would continue to offer his support any time Peter needed him.

Perhaps that was why Tony nurtured the friendship with the police captain. He wanted to be sure that Peter was surrounded by good people, and he was grateful to his mentor for that.

Peter didn't know what the future held or if any of the criminals may come back to haunt him, but he sure felt better knowing that he had the best people looking out for that future.

Weak spots didn't matter anymore. His friends and family were ultimately the ones that gave him strength.

* * *

 **A/N: The End. Or is it? What do you think? Shall I do a follow-up story in the future? What about the rating? I am on the fence a little, and I am wondering if I should lower it to "T" despite the language and violence.**

 **Remember to share your final thoughts in a review. :)**

 **Thanks for your support!**


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